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