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