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