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