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