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