#$$*-,,¨..                                          ..¨,,-*$$#
#¤§^»-.,,,                                          ,,,.-»^§¤#
####§%^~~,                                          ,~~^%§####
##¶&@=;«:,                                          ,:«;=@&¶##
####¤*^;~,                                          ,~;^*¤####
##%†:,..¨¨                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   ¨.«:$¤&###
£*»»-..,¨¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨¨,..-»»*£
##@##=;-,.                                          .,-;=##@##
££#@¤§*«:. my mom is here now.  i ask her for  some .:«*§¤@#££
#@£#%*/~-¨ particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but ¨-~/*%#£@#
##@@£%†-.¨ she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ¨.-†%£@@##
###*\~,^,¨              throw it away.              ¨,^,~\*###
¶§**=*»~:,                                          ,:~»*=**§¶
##£&&%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%&&£##
##@@&$/-.,                                          ,.-/$&@@##
##@@%%\=,.                                          .,=\%%@@##
###@$§;~^,                                          ,^~;§$@###
##£§§^^~~,                                          ,~~^^§§£##