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