###§%*/~..                                          ..~/*%§###
##@*$^~~,.                                          .,~~^$*@##
#@$%^»^.¨.                                          .¨.^»^%$@#
##¤£*†~,.,                                          ,.,~†*£¤##
###@**^»:.                                          .:»^**@###
#@£$§\~^,¨                 statuette                ¨,^~\§$£@#
#¤*§:=,,..                                          ..,,=:§*¤#
##@§*†=^,. §$£$@@*£@££$$&%%=-=»~»»~£@@%£¤@%%§%§&%$% .,^=†*§@##
###&§$;=.¨                 $£$$*&$£%                ¨.=;$§&###
#@£¤^*«-..                                          ..-«*^¤£@#
#§$§†=:¨., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.¨:=†§$§#
#@£*^:»~,. 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.              ¨:-^*§#@##
##§$=:«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«:=$§##
@@£$=~~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~~=$£@@
#@&¤^\»-.¨                                          ¨.-»\^¤&@#
##@¤¤*:«:¨                                          ¨:«:*¤¤@##
##£$=/»:¨,                                          ,¨:»/=$£##
#@@%:»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»:%@@#