@#*%/~..¨,                                          ,¨..~/%*#@
#@¶£$=\»:¨                                          ¨:»\=$£¶@#
#@§^$\†~..                                          ..~†\$^§@#
@££*†*^,¨.                                          .¨,^*†*££@
#@##£*^-,,                                          ,,-^*£##@#
£§§$^=*»:.                 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 ¨.¨.,,,*§&
¶&$*^,,.., particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but ,..,,^*$&¶
@$*/==,... she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ...,==/*$@
###£$†:-.,              throw it away.              ,.-:†$£###
##£§&*^«,,                                          ,,«^*&§£##
¤@$\/*~.,.                                          .,.~*/\$@¤
##@#%†:=-,                                          ,-=:†%#@##
§§£=«,,,..                                          ..,,,«=£§§
#@&†*\;«,.                                          .,«;\*†&@#
#¤§-,...,,                                          ,,...,-§¤#