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