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