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