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