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