&¤¤@£%†~-,                                          ,-~†%£@¤¤&
##@&¤=;-~.                                          .~-;=¤&@##
#%§$$=^~,,                                          ,,~^=$$§%#
#@§%;:,,¨.                                          .¨,,:;%§@#
£§$£\-,.,,                                          ,,.,-\£$§£
###¤$†:=,.                statuette                 .,=:†$¤###
@##@%$\~^.                                          .^~\$%@##@
##@@¤$\-^, @$$£@§%@%§%*§$@%«=«~~~-~§%&@§$££§£*&§%@¤ ,^-\$¤@@##
###@@†=--,                $£&§%@$£*                 ,--=†@@###
#@##%$:~:.                                          .:~:$%##@#
##@¶*§/=~, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,~=/§*¶@##
§¤$;,,¨¨.¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨.¨¨,,;$¤§
##@¤¤*^=^.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .^=^*¤¤@##
##@&&*;=,, underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ,,=;*&&@##
##@£%^/~., is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ,.~/^%£@##
@#*//†*»,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,»*†//*#@
£@§§*~--,,                                          ,,--~*§§@£
££¤/:-.¨.. there's a  river passing  by, from  east ..¨.-:/¤££
@##¤%$^»^. to west, getting broader  and deeper and .^»^$%¤##@
£§«,..,,,, slower as  it goes.  equisetum grow just ,,,,..,«§£
###££$^~~¨ where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let ¨~~^$££###
##§£*=¨¨¨¨ through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ¨¨¨¨=*£§##
@@^$%=\~~,                river bed.                ,~~\=%$^@@
####%^;«~.                                          .~«;^%####
###@¤%†~^¨                     †                    ¨^~†%¤@###
@##@%$==..                                          ..==$%@##@
##@§¤**»^, the riverbanks  reek  of  magic. tonight ,^»**¤§@##
####@§;~,. they had  been  a swampworld with sylvan .,~;§@####
##£@%*\~~¨ water, stone  rings  and floating  moss. ¨~~\*%@£##
@@#¤&%^=~, you could've  found me wallowing  around ,~=^%&¤#@@
###¤@^†~., on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,.~†^@¤###
##@&*=*»^.                  bitten.                 .^»*=*&@##
¶&^~«¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨«~^&¶
##£££$†»-. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .-»†$£££##
@@^%««:,,¨ ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨,,:««%^@@
¶@$$=,¨¨., 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.              .,¨.,:^§%#
#@@£&%:--¨                                          ¨--:%&£@@#
###&$§/-,¨                                          ¨,-/§$&###
#####†*=~,                                          ,~=*†#####
#@@#£%\=..                                          ..=\%£#@@#
#@@#%$*~:,                                          ,:~*$%#@@#
##@@£$$=,,                                          ,,=$$£@@##