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