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