§$=,.¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨.,=$§
###@#^^»-,                                          ,-»^^#@###
#@#£¤§/=~.                                          .~=/§¤£#@#
#§£$$§\»-,                                          ,-»\§$$£§#
@**§~-,.,.                                          .,.,-~§**@
§^*^$\=~~.                statuette                 .~~=\$^*^§
##@§%%†=-.                                          .-=†%%§@##
###£#$*»,, £*§**£*$¤%$%$¤@@~=~~~=~«@££**£&$££¤&%£*¤ ,,»*$#£###
#***«,.,,¨                 $$@§%£¤%%                ¨,,.,«***#
##@#£§;~,,                                          ,,~;§£#@##
@@#§%$;=~. forests around  my childhood home. thick .~=;$%§#@@
@¶##%=*=:. 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.              ,,-/$¤####
&£§†/-,¨,.                                          .,¨,-/†§£&
##££¤$:~,,                                          ,,~:$¤££##
#@£¤£=;=~,                                          ,~=;=£¤£@#
#¶§%†=:.,,                                          ,,.:=†%§¶#
&$*§\;~,^.                                          .^,~;\§*$&
#@@§:~,,,¨                                          ¨,,,~:§@@#