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