###¤$†/~-.                                          .-~/†$¤###
##¤%†*«,,,                                          ,,,«*†%¤##
#§$%\»^¨¨,                                          ,¨¨^»\%$§#
#@&&†=~,¨.                                          .¨,~=†&&@#
####£=†-,,                                          ,,-†=£####
##£$§:=:,,                statuette                 ,,:=:§$£##
@#§=:~.,¨,                                          ,¨,.~:=§#@
#@&¤†*=~.¨ %@£¤$£@§@$£$££*£~=~~=~-«££§$§%%£¤%£@¤$§* ¨.~=*†¤&@#
###§¤†=~-,                 %£¤£@§*&*                ,-~=†¤§###
##&%$==.¨.                                          .¨.==$%&##
#§*††»^,.¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨.,^»††*§#
##£@†\»,., pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ,.,»\†@£##
###£¤$*~:¨       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.              ¨^»^†¤§@##
##@%§^«^,,                                          ,,^«^§%@##
@§£%=«^¨.¨                                          ¨.¨^«=%£§@
#@&%*^~:.¨                                          ¨.:~^*%&@#
###£*§=-~¨                                          ¨~-=§*£###
#@&**^~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~^**&@#
##$*:-~.,¨                                          ¨,.~-:*$##