##@%†:~,.,                                          ,.,~:†%@##
#£&%:~~.,,                                          ,,.~~:%&£#
@%§==:,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,:==§%@
##%%;~-...                                          ...-~;%%##
##&$%:~~,.                                          .,~~:%$&##
####%$\«-¨                 statuette                ¨-«\$%####
##§£§\~,,¨                                          ¨,,~\§£§##
@&%%;«-,,¨ %*$¤&¤¤&§$$£*££¤~-«-«~«-@%$£&*£$$¤%£&£%¤ ¨,,-«;%%&@
&£*\»,.,,¨                ££@@£%*@$                 ¨,,.,»\*£&
##@*†-^¨,.                                          .,¨^-†*@##
##§%†;~~¨. 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 ,.~«;*%@@#
##@¤$†*~.¨ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ¨.~*†$¤@##
###$†:=:..              throw it away.              ..:=:†$###
@&£^*-,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,-*^£&@
&£%:~-.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.-~:%£&
#£%*:».¨,.                                          .,¨.»:*%£#
##§$%;~,.,                                          ,.,~;%$§##
###@$$;=..                                          ..=;$$@###
##£*%/~,¨.                                          .¨,~/%*£##