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