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