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