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