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