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