###@£^:»,,                                          ,,»:^£@###
§$=~~,.¨..                                          ..¨.,~~=$§
@@@@¤$:-^.                                          .^-:$¤@@@@
###&%^\»,,                                          ,,»\^%&###
#&=%*,,.,,                                          ,,.,,*%=&#
#@¶§§§=«..                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.              ,,=\%*¤@@#
##¶@*==~-.                                          .-~==*@¶##
£###&*\«~¨                                          ¨~«\*&###£
#@#@@%\~~,                                          ,~~\%@@#@#
##¶#$^\«,,                                          ,,«\^$#¶##
##*=«.,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,.«=*##
@@£§*^=«:,                                          ,:«=^*§£@@