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