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