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