££¤$:»¨,,,                                          ,,,¨»:$¤££
###§@*/=:.                                          .:=/*@§###
###£§%\-~,                                          ,~-\%§£###
#*§=**†«^,                                          ,^«†**=§*#
&$†«,.,..¨                                          ¨..,.,«†$&
@#£££*;~.,                 statuette                ,.~;*£££#@
@#¤£$*==^,                                          ,^==*$£¤#@
###@§£*†~, £&§¤&%$$&£¤$*&*&«»-~~=~~%¤$$£%§@§¤£$¤££& ,~†*£§@###
¤£\.¨¨.,..                %§$@$$@££                 ..,.¨¨.\£¤
#£#§¤†:~,,                                          ,,~:†¤§#£#
@§£†/~^... forests around my  childhood home. thick ...^~/†£§@
@$=-,¨¨.¨. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .¨.¨¨,-=$@
#@%*==^.,¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨,.^==*%@#
&@£$^==-~, underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ,~-==^$£@&
###§£*;-:¨ is dark  and  moist,  the canopy  having ¨:-;*£§###
#*^\-,:... already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ...:,-\^*#
@##§%^:~-,                                          ,-~:^%§##@
@#%§=~.¨,¨ there's  a river passing by,  from  east ¨,¨.~=§%#@
£$§»=,..¨, to west,  getting broader and deeper and ,¨..,=»§$£
¤£%=-.¨,¨, slower  as  it goes. equisetum grow just ,¨,¨.-=%£¤
###@¤%†=~, where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ,~=†%¤@###
#@@§£==«., through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky ,.«==£§@@#
#%=*^^~¨.,                river bed.                ,.¨~^^*=%#
#@#££§/~,.                                          .,~/§££#@#
##£#$==~^.                     =                    .^~==$#£##
#£§†».,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,.»†§£#
£§#§=^~¨., the riverbanks  reek  of magic.  tonight ,.¨~^=§#§£
@#££^:^.¨, they had been  a swampworld with  sylvan ,¨.^:^££#@
#@@££$*=,¨ water, stone  rings  and floating  moss. ¨,=*$££@@#
##@&£†/»-, you  could've  found me wallowing around ,-»/†£&@##
###¶£%;~,, on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,,~;%£¶###
###¤&§/=,¨                  bitten.                 ¨,=/§&¤###
&&%=.,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,.=%&&
###&@^†~~¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨~~†^@&###
@#¤§$%^~~, ground, in shoulder-high grass,  with an ,~~^%$§¤#@
@£¤===†»:, orange   tin  radio  and  a  translucent ,:»†===¤£@
§§££\//-~.      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      .~-//\££§§
¤^»-,¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨,-»^¤
@#%*»,¨,.¨                     =                    ¨.,¨,»*%#@
###££^^~~¨                                          ¨~~^^££###
##£§%†\-^¨ somethings moving  in  the  grass.  it's ¨^-\†%§£##
£##*»«,.¨. invisible to  my  eyes  but  i can  feel .¨.,«»*##£
##@£%†*»:¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨:»*†%£@##
###£*†\~..                                          ..~\†*£###
###¶#*§~,, the soil is  muddy.  i  slip when trying ,,~§*#¶###
#§§«.¨.,¨¨ to  get  up,  still   looking   at   the ¨¨,.¨.«§§#
###§@*=«~¨ direction  of  sound  rather than at  my ¨~«=*@§###
@¤**%«¨..¨ hands, who  are busy putting  things  in ¨..¨«%**¤@
§§*~:~¨,¨¨                my pockets.               ¨¨,¨~:~*§§
#@§§$=:~^,                                          ,^~:=$§§@#
##@££^†~:, then  i  run   east  toward   my   home. ,:~†^££@##
##¶££%†~^¨                                          ¨^~†%££¶##
#@#£$^\-.¨                     =                    ¨.-\^$£#@#
@¤=%=:~...                                          ...~:=%=¤@
##@£*%\-^. i am not followed, and slow down  in the .^-\%*£@##
£%†*†*/«:¨ clearing  where  you at  first can  spot ¨:«/*†*†%£
##&@£=*-., the  house,  not   yet  really  in   the ,.-*=£@&##
@§*=/~««^¨ backyard. from my pockets  i retrieve my ¨^««~/=*§@
£&§/:¨,.¨¨ radio (now  dented)  but  also  a  small ¨¨.,¨:/§&£
#@¶§%%^«,, clay  figure  i've never seen before. it ,,«^%%§¶@#
¤¤*==...,, must  have been laying in the wet  dirt, ,,...==*¤¤
#@@££%=«:, and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my ,:«=%££@@#
##££%††»:,            other belongings.             ,:»††%££##
#^/-,¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨,-/^#
@§=%%==¨¨, it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked ,¨¨==%%=§@
###§*$:~,¨ on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, ¨,~:$*§###
##§§%§*-,,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,,-*§%§§##
#&£@*~«-.. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ..-«~*@£&#
#@#@&†;~,,                                          ,,~;†&@#@#
£#¤$\,¨,,¨ my mom is here now. i ask her  for  some ¨,,¨,\$¤#£
###@¤*;-., particle  board for  it  to dry  on, but ,.-;*¤@###
¶£@@§*\«^, she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ,^«\*§@@£¶
@&&#&*;-,.              throw it away.              .,-;*&#&&@
##¶@£*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*£@¶##
#@@†;†=«,.                                          .,«=†;†@@#
&$§^\».,¨.                                          .¨,.»\^§$&
¤%\=;....,                                          ,....;=\%¤
#§%\~-,,..                                          ..,,-~\%§#
##£¤£*^»~¨                                          ¨~»^*£¤£##