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