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