#@¶¤@^;~.,                                          ,.~;^@¤¶@#
###¤£$\~,¨                                          ¨,~\$£¤###
##£§$^;-,,                                          ,,-;^$§£##
¶#@#§%;--.                                          .--;%§#@#¶
###£@^†~..                                          ..~†^@£###
###££*;~~¨                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. ¨,.,,-:$§£
@¤%:^....¨                                          ¨....^:%¤@
##¶¤@%;~~¨ my mom  is here now. i  ask her for some ¨~~;%@¤¶##
#@#§£*;=.¨ particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but ¨.=;*£§#@#
£*=»,¨,¨,, she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ,,¨,¨,»=*£
##¶#%*==-¨              throw it away.              ¨-==*%#¶##
##£%†-:,..                                          ..,:-†%£##
#@¶#¤§†~^,                                          ,^~†§¤#¶@#
##@§@†:«,,                                          ,,«:†@§@##
#@#¤$§/~,.                                          .,~/§$¤#@#
#@#£%%=~:,                                          ,:~=%%£#@#
##@&%$=-,¨                                          ¨,-=$%&@##