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