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