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