##@¤%=\=^,                                          ,^=\=%¤@##
#@#¤%§;~:.                                          .:~;§%¤#@#
#$$*%«=~.,                                          ,.~=«%*$$#
##@§$%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%$§@##
##@#§%;-~¨                                          ¨~-;%§#@##
##¶£%$/»,,                 statuette                ,,»/$%£¶##
#@£§$§/=.¨                                          ¨.=/§$§£@#
#@#@$*^-~¨ $§$£§§&&$££%@%£$~~»=~~«=&£@%§&§§%£&*%§%$ ¨~-^*$@#@#
#@#&%=*-,¨                @$&*@¤£$%                 ¨,-*=%&#@#
£@$%%%\-~,                                          ,~-\%%%$@£
@¶&†=«.¨., forests around my childhood home.  thick ,.¨.«=†&¶@
##@£%§;~^, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,^~;§%£@##
¤§~«,,¨,¨¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨¨,¨,,«~§¤
##¶&@%;=:¨ underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ¨:=;%@&¶##
##£¤&=;~,¨ is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having ¨,~;=&¤£##
##@@£^^«:¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨:«^^£@@##
#&§»-¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨-»§&#
##@#¤*=~., there's a  river  passing by, from  east ,.~=*¤#@##
§#$/†\†-.¨ 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.              ,:-\$$¤@##
#@@¤£*;~~.                                          .~~;*£¤@@#
#%=\-,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,-\=%#
###@§*†=:.                                          .:=†*§@###
£&£¤£$^=:,                                          ,:=^$£¤£&£
###§@$*=,,                                          ,,=*$@§###
#@¶§$=*~,.                                          .,~*=$§¶@#