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