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