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