##@¤%*^~-,                                          ,-~^*%¤@##
#@¶¤@=;--.                                          .--;=@¤¶@#
¤@£%*^=--¨                                          ¨--=^*%£@¤
###§£§^--¨                                          ¨--^§£§###
#£†%*-¨..¨                                          ¨..¨-*%†£#
£#§^$=~,¨,                 statuette                ,¨,~=$^§#£
##@@#%†«,,                                          ,,«†%#@@##
££§«=..¨,¨ §$£@@¤£££¤@@§%£$~»~~««»«$&§@%&£&&*@$£$££ ¨,¨..=«§££
@¤^*»,¨.,¨                $§§@§&*$&                 ¨,.¨,»*^¤@
###£**;~:¨                                          ¨:~;**£###
§§&%%-¨¨¨, 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, ¨,=»/:^%$@
@§=«,.¨,,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,,¨.,«=§@
##¶§%^=~~. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .~~=^%§¶##
##@@$†\«,.                                          .,«\†$@@##
@==«~^,¨,¨ my mom is here now.  i ask her for  some ¨,¨,^~«==@
##†;^,¨.,¨ particle  board for  it to  dry on,  but ¨,.¨,^;†##
¶#£§*=-~~¨ she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ¨~~-=*§£#¶
#&=†=»:.¨,              throw it away.              ,¨.:»=†=&#
#@¶§£*†-~.                                          .~-†*£§¶@#
@##§$%^~..                                          ..~^%$§##@
##@&%†^=,.                                          .,=^†%&@##
£¤§#$*:»~.                                          .~»:*$#§¤£
#&@%=»»~,,                                          ,,~»»=%@&#
##@¤£*^~:¨                                          ¨:~^*£¤@##