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