##$^...¨..                                          ..¨...^$##
#$§^%§†~^.                                          .^~†§%^§$#
##¤^:«¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨«:^¤##
##@&$†^~,,                                          ,,~^†$&@##
#@¶#§†/«,.                                          .,«/†§#¶@#
@@#@¤*^-:¨                 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 .-~/:*@£&&
@#¶&$%==:. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to .:==%$&¶#@
£$%=««-,,,              throw it away.              ,,,-««=%$£
##£@$$*--¨                                          ¨--*$$@£##
@@#£@†*-.,                                          ,.-*†@£#@@
#&$%=¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨=%$&#
#@#¤§$:»^.                                          .^»:$§¤#@#
##@££^†~,¨                                          ¨,~†^££@##
#@#&§§==.,                                          ,.==§§&#@#