##¶£§*/«:,                                          ,:«/*§£¶##
###§$*\=,¨                                          ¨,=\*$§###
##@£&%:~,.                                          .,~:%&£@##
##¶&%§/=-¨                                          ¨-=/§%&¶##
#@@@£%^-,¨                                          ¨,-^%£@@@#
###§*$/».¨                statuette                 ¨.»/$*§###
&£@*§==«,,                                          ,,«==§*@£&
###@£%*~-¨ @@$%%%&££¤%@&£*%~-~====»$$&$@§%*§@%*$%§¤ ¨-~*%£@###
@¤¤&%$==-,                 %¤££@£&%%                ,-==$%&¤¤@
##@§*††=,¨                                          ¨,=††*§@##
#£%^«=,~-, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,-~,=«^%£#
###£$*†=.. pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ..=†*$£###
¶£*~,.¨¨.¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨.¨¨.,~*£¶
###@&%†~,. underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it .,~†%&@###
@#¶&%%*~,¨ is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having ¨,~*%%&¶#@
#%%§$$†~,¨ 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.              ..-^^&@#@#
##@¤&$\».,                                          ,.»\$&¤@##
#@@££§*»^,                                          ,^»*§££@@#
#$;~^~¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨~^~;$#
#@¤§¤=/-:.                                          .:-/=¤§¤@#
£§;-..¨..,                                          ,..¨..-;§£
#####$*/»,                                          ,»/*$#####