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