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