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