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