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