##££§*†»,,                                          ,,»†*§££##
£&$:«¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨«:$&£
#%»~-~«,,.                                          .,,«~-~»%#
##¤*$†=~.¨                                          ¨.~=†$*¤##
#§££¤*\~-¨                                          ¨-~\*¤££§#
@$@%=†«~:.                 statuette                .:~«†=%@$@
#£@$†/;»,,                                          ,,»;/†$@£#
£$~,¨.,.,. ¤&%*&£££$§%$%@&*»«-»«~=~%@£*£%£%@£¤$££¤& .,.,.¨,~$£
##£§¤†=~,,                 ££*¤%§&&&                ,,~=†¤§£##
#@*\~-...,                                          ,...-~\*@#
@#@@$%/~-. 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 ,-=^*@&¶##
###@§$;«,, she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,,«;$§@###
&&^$^^^«-.              throw it away.              .-«^^^$^&&
@§¤^~~«~,,                                          ,,~«~~^¤§@
##£&%*/~.¨                                          ¨.~/*%&£##
£@££**†«^.                                          .^«†**££@£
¶#££@=;=..                                          ..=;=@££#¶
##@@@§*~,,                                          ,,~*§@@@##
#@§@@§/~,.                                          .,~/§@@§@#