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