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