¶%%=†/\=-¨                                          ¨-=\/†=%%¶
###£*%^~:,                                          ,:~^%*£###
@@#£¤†=~~,                                          ,~~=†¤£#@@
@*\*~,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,~*\*@
#*†-..,.,¨                                          ¨,.,..-†*#
¶&@§$*:=-.                 statuette                .-=:*$§@&¶
##££@†\«..                                          ..«\†@££##
@¤@$%*-,¨. $$$@§§££&¤§%¤$%$«-=«»-»~*§%&@$@£%£*£$$&£ .¨,-*%$@¤@
##¶&$†^».,                 $£§%@&%$£                ,.»^†$&¶##
#@#¤@§^»,¨                                          ¨,»^§@¤#@#
###¤**\~,. forests around my childhood  home. thick .,~\**¤###
####&@*^=. pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and .=^*@&####
##@@&=:»-.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .-»:=&@@##
#@#§%†*«^. underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it .^«*†%§#@#
§§@¤£§\~-. is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having .-~\§£¤@§§
@@££%*\«^, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,^«\*%££@@
#@@£%§^=^,                                          ,^=^§%£@@#
#@@§%%:~~. there's  a river  passing by,  from east .~~:%%§@@#
£@**%«.,¨¨ to west, getting broader and  deeper and ¨¨,.«%**@£
##£¤$*;«~. 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.              ¨,«;*&#@##
##@&%%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%%&@##
#¤$$:»~-,.                                          .,-~»:$$¤#
#¶@£$$*~.,                                          ,.~*$$£@¶#
@$£%\-,..,                                          ,..,-\%£$@
##@&£*\-~,                                          ,~-\*£&@##
##§~».,...                                          ...,.»~§##