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