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