##=*=~~,,¨                                          ¨,,~~=*=##
#@#&$^=«,¨                                          ¨,«=^$&#@#
#¤\\†.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.†\\¤#
#@¶#@%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%@#¶@#
##@@£*/».¨                                          ¨.»/*£@@##
###£*§†~,,                 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. .~»:*$££##
##@&&*;«.,                                          ,.«;*&&@##
@§§~:,,.,. my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some .,.,,:~§§@
@§//».¨,,, particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ,,,¨.»//§@
#@@#%%\».¨ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ¨.»\%%#@@#
¶£*§=»-,,.              throw it away.              .,,-»=§*£¶
#@@§£=/«^,                                          ,^«/=£§@@#
##£#$§*~^.                                          .^~*§$#£##
###¤$%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%$¤###
@%-^^,¨,..                                          ..,¨,^^-%@
#@@#§*/=:.                                          .:=/*§#@@#
@$/.,..¨..                                          ..¨..,./$@