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