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