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