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