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