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