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