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