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