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