###@£¤†=,¨                                          ¨,=†¤£@###
£$^--:~~,¨                                          ¨,~~:--^$£
#&*»»~-,,.                                          .,,-~»»*&#
##¶&$%^~-¨                                          ¨-~^%$&¶##
##£#£*;~,.                                          .,~;*£#£##
§&^«:.,¨..                 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 ¨:=:=$$#£@
##@§$=*=:, the  house,   not  yet  really   in  the ,:=*=$§@##
###§$%^«-¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my ¨-«^%$§###
###&*$/=~¨ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ¨~=/$*&###
£§&§\-.... clay  figure i've  never seen before. it ....-\§&§£
@@£==~«... must  have been laying in the wet  dirt, ...«~==£@@
£†§\^^¨,,. and  i  must've  picked  it  up with  my .,,¨^^\§†£
@££¤$%†~,¨            other belongings.             ¨,~†%$¤££@
###¤£§*~,,                                          ,,~*§£¤###
##@&@§^--. it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked .--^§@&@##
#¤£¤£**»^¨ on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, ¨^»**£¤£¤#
###@@=/=.,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,.=/=@@###
##@£$†=»,. freshly made, not  yet completely dried. .,»=†$£@##
§¤$†-^-^-.                                          .-^-^-†$¤§
@¤†~,.¨¨.¨ my mom is  here now. i  ask her for some ¨.¨¨.,~†¤@
##@@*^;~~. particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but .~~;^*@@##
¤££¤*/~,:, she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ,:,~/*¤££¤
#%£%%%^=:¨              throw it away.              ¨:=^%%%£%#
¶¤$$*==,.,                                          ,.,==*$$¤¶
##@¤**=-.,                                          ,.-=**¤@##
#@¶£$%/-~¨                                          ¨~-/%$£¶@#
£@%*-«,,¨,                                          ,¨,,«-*%@£
###@£=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=£@###
@$*\-..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..-\*$@