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