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