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