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