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