##¶§%†:~,.                                          .,~:†%§¶##
#@£#@%/-:¨                                          ¨:-/%@#£@#
#@#£&%==-,                                          ,-==%&£#@#
£$†:...,.,                                          ,.,...:†$£
#@@¤%$=~~¨                                          ¨~~=$%¤@@#
@£†:..¨.,,                 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   ,,.,.~--%&
###@%$\«~¨ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ¨~«\$%@###
##*=»,....                                          ....,»=*##
@##£@†^~:. my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some .:~^†@£##@
##¶#%§/~,, particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but ,,~/§%#¶##
####§%;-., she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ,.-;%§####
###££*†»,,              throw it away.              ,,»†*££###
###£$%\=..                                          ..=\%$£###
##§*@=/=:,                                          ,:=/=@*§##
#@@¤&*=-,.                                          .,-=*&¤@@#
#&&:=¨,..,                                          ,..,¨=:&&#
##@@%§:=-,                                          ,-=:§%@@##
@£§@=:.¨.,                                          ,.¨.:=@§£@