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