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