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