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