###¤£§=-:.                                          .:-=§£¤###
£$†,^..¨,.                                          .,¨..^,†$£
££#$@%;~^,                                          ,^~;%@$#££
##@&£%\«,.                                          .,«\%£&@##
##$\^,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,^\$##
##@&%%^=,¨                statuette                 ¨,=^%%&@##
##@¤*$*«-.                                          .-«*$*¤@##
¶#&£@*;~,, §££%%¤$%$*@%%£$£=»-«»~~»$$*$&*%%@£*¤&$¤¤ ,,~;*@£&#¶
##@££$=»~¨                 £$£%@¤¤*%                ¨~»=$££@##
@#@&%$\«~.                                          .~«\$%&@#@
##&£§†:~.. forests around my childhood home.  thick ..~:†§£&##
@££^^%;~-. pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .-~;%^^££@
##@@$%*=^.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .^=*%$@@##
#§%::,.,,¨ underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ¨,,.,::%§#
#@££¤†/=~. is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having .~=/†¤££@#
##¶&$^/~~¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨~~/^$&¶##
#@§%*/»~^,                                          ,^~»/*%§@#
#¶#¤£$;«~. there's a  river passing  by,  from east .~«;$£¤#¶#
####$*/».¨ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¨.»/*$####
###£§&=»-¨ slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ¨-»=&§£###
##@#**/«^, where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let ,^«/**#@##
@#@$*$;-~, through  light,  horsemint on the  rocky ,~-;$*$@#@
@£@£=/»,¨¨                river bed.                ¨¨,»/=£@£@
£$^*:¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨:*^$£
##¶#%§/»:¨                     :                    ¨:»/§%#¶##
@##§$=;-~¨                                          ¨~-;=$§##@
##¶¤$$^»,. 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.              ,^»/*£@###
###¶¤£%;«-                                          -«;%£¤¶###
£@££@=^-,¨                                          ¨,-^=@££@£
@#@#£†\-:.                                          .:-\†£#@#@
£$§*=»-,,¨                                          ¨,,-»=*§$£
¶¤*$=...¨.                                          .¨...=$*¤¶
##¶££=;=-.                                          .-=;=££¶##