#@@@&%;»~¨                                          ¨~»;%&@@@#
@#§\\-~¨,.                                          .,¨~-\\§#@
###£%$;»-,                                          ,-»;$%£###
####$*;~,.                                          .,~;*$####
##££¤=†»,,                                          ,,»†=¤££##
##†«.¨¨.,.                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 ,:»=%$&###
###&&§^=,, particle  board  for  it to dry on,  but ,,=^§&&###
###@%=†~,¨ she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ¨,~†=%@###
###&£%\»,,              throw it away.              ,,»\%£&###
@&§£§-.¨,.                                          .,¨.-§£§&@
#@##$†:-,.                                          .,-:†$##@#
&^%**:^-.,                                          ,.-^:**%^&
#@#&%$:»,.                                          .,»:$%&#@#
#@@§¤%:~,.                                          .,~:%¤§@@#
@¶£¤$%^=,.                                          .,=^%$¤£¶@