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