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