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