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