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