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