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