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