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