##@@$§;«~,                                          ,~«;§$@@##
##¶£%*~-.,                                          ,.-~*%£¶##
##@%==.,¨.                                          .¨,.==%@##
£&$/»^,.,.                                          .,.,^»/$&£
£^\«,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,«\^£
$/~....¨,,                 statuette                ,,¨....~/$
\~..,¨...¨                                          ¨...¨,..~\
=-¨¨..,,¨. £¤$$*$@@§£$¤&@%$«»~«-=-~*$£&§$£%§£%*¤£$% .¨,,..¨¨-=
=~...,.¨,.                %@&*@§*%%                 .,¨.,...~=
†:=^..,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,..^=:†
¤§\~-,,,.¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨.,,,-~\§¤
¶@%†=-¨¨,¨ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¨,¨¨-=†%@¶
#£§%^«,,,,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,,,,«^%§£#
#@@£§*~..¨ underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ¨..~*§£@@#
###¶%§=~^¨ is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ¨^~=§%¶###
#@£¤^*~.,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,.~*^¤£@#
@¶@%/-^¨.,                                          ,.¨^-/%@¶@
@£%\«^,¨¨. there's a  river  passing by, from  east .¨¨,^«\%£@
@=†~~¨..., to west, getting broader and  deeper and ,...¨~~†=@
%*=,,,¨¨.. slower as it  goes.  equisetum grow just ..¨¨,,,=*%
†~:,,.¨¨¨¨ where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let ¨¨¨¨.,,:~†
~-.,,,.¨.¨ through  light,  horsemint  on the rocky ¨.¨.,,,.-~
†«...,.¨,.                river bed.                .,¨.,...«†
^†~..¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨..~†^
%$/~:,¨.¨.                    :                     .¨.¨,:~/$%
£$$=»~¨,,.                                          .,,¨~»=$$£
#¶¤†;«.... 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.              ..¨:~†**##
#%^*»:.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.:»*^%#
@^=~~¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨~~=^@
=;=:,¨¨¨..                                          ..¨¨¨,:=;=
†».¨,.,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.,¨.»†
«,¨.,¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨,.¨,«
*~~.¨.¨...                                          ...¨.¨.~~*