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