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