##@£@=;».¨                                          ¨.»;=@£@##
@$^~»»,~~¨                                          ¨~~,»»~^$@
##@@%§/»,,                                          ,,»/§%@@##
@%:~,,,...                                          ...,,,~:%@
###§*%^=:¨                                          ¨:=^%*§###
@§/~,¨¨¨¨¨                 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. ..~^*$§@@#
##@££*:«-.                                          .-«:*££@##
#@££¤=*-,¨ my mom is here  now. i ask  her for some ¨,-*=¤££@#
¶£@#%^:-.. particle board  for  it  to dry  on, but ..-:^%#@£¶
#@%£*«~:., she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ,.:~«*£%@#
##¤=*-:¨,,              throw it away.              ,,¨:-*=¤##
####§*:=,,                                          ,,=:*§####
##@¤£%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%£¤@##
¤&££**†=:,                                          ,:=†**££&¤
#@#¤$§/~^.                                          .^~/§$¤#@#
#£=~.,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,.~=£#
##@&£§†~-,                                          ,-~†§£&@##