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