#£=\»,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,»\=£#
###£$§*=:,                                          ,:=*§$£###
§$=/::,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,::/=$§
#£££;~....                                          ....~;£££#
###£$=*~~¨                                          ¨~~*=$£###
#&§%/,..,¨                 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. ¨,~*§$@@##
&§%^\-.,¨.                                          .¨,.-\^%§&
¤£%/~,,,.. my mom is here now. i  ask her  for some ..,,,~/%£¤
&§£^-...., particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but ,....-^£§&
#¤%~~¨.,., she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ,.,.¨~~%¤#
#@%/\,.¨.¨              throw it away.              ¨.¨.,\/%@#
#¤$\».,,,,                                          ,,,,.»\$¤#
##@§%$:«..                                          ..«:$%§@##
##@£@=^~-¨                                          ¨-~^=@£@##
¤$=--~¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨~--=$¤
##£§§/=,..                                          ..,=/§§£##
@*«~~¨¨,,,                                          ,,,¨¨~~«*@