#££%;,,.,,                                          ,,.,,;%££#
#£%=..¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨..=%£#
##£§%$;-.,                                          ,.-;$%§£##
£§=.,..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..,.=§£
##@@@$;-,.                                          .,-;$@@@##
&£$~.¨..,.                 statuette                .,..¨.~$£&
@#¶@@*†~-.                                          .-~†*@@¶#@
####&%;«^. %$£%*§$*%%$£££&$====«~--$*@$$£§£@$£%%@&% .^«;%&####
###@§^/~:.                 §$@&%£&£@                .:~/^§@###
###¤$*:«,,                                          ,,«:*$¤###
#@@&$$^»:, 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 ,:~*§¤@@##
##£#$§*~,, she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ,,~*§$#£##
##§$=«-..,              throw it away.              ,..-«=$§##
#£=%=/--:.                                          .:--/=%=£#
£#$¤*=««~¨                                          ¨~««=*¤$#£
¤@&%=/†=-.                                          .-=†/=%&@¤
#@#&@%†«:.                                          .:«†%@&#@#
##£#£=^~-,                                          ,-~^=£#£##
##@#§†*~:.                                          .:~*†§#@##