##@&=\~~..                                          ..~~\=&@##
@&§§^--.,,                                          ,,.--^§§&@
##£&†/«~,,                                          ,,~«/†&£##
##@&&%\=:¨                                          ¨:=\%&&@##
##@&^:-,,,                                          ,,,-:^&@##
#§£%*»~¨,,                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 ¨¨..==%@@#
#@#$$\~-,¨ direction  of  sound  rather than at  my ¨,-~\$$#@#
##@&@*/=^. hands,  who  are busy  putting things in .^=/*@&@##
#@¤$=;=.¨,               my pockets.                ,¨.=;=$¤@#
@#£^;»:..¨                                          ¨..:»;^£#@
##¤&†:-^,, then  i   run  east   toward  my   home. ,,^-:†&¤##
##@#¤*^~:¨                                          ¨:~^*¤#@##
##¤£§;~,,.                    ^                     .,,~;§£¤##
#£$*;=~.,¨                                          ¨,.~=;*$£#
#@¤£§*«,¨¨ i am not followed, and slow down in  the ¨¨,«*§£¤@#
##@§%§=~~. clearing  where  you  at first  can spot .~~=§%§@##
##&%=*»,., the   house,  not   yet  really  in  the ,.,»*=%&##
#@£*=«:,¨, backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my ,¨,:«=*£@#
#@¤£%;=.¨, radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ,¨.=;%£¤@#
###&%*;~~. clay  figure i've never seen  before. it .~~;*%&###
#@#$†=«~,¨ must have been laying in  the wet  dirt, ¨,~«=†$#@#
@§$†*«,¨¨, and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my ,¨¨,«*†$§@
#@£&§^=-¨¨             other belongings.            ¨¨-=^§&£@#
##@&¤†^«^¨                                          ¨^«^†¤&@##
##¤%$:«.,. it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked .,.«:$%¤##
#&$*\~,.,. on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, .,.,~\*$&#
#@§&%†~.¨¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨¨.~†%&§@#
##@§$§†»~. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .~»†§$§@##
##£$^\»^.,                                          ,.^»\^$£##
#¤£=*»^..¨ my  mom is here  now. i ask her for some ¨..^»*=£¤#
#@@&%†=^,¨ particle  board for  it to  dry on,  but ¨,^=†%&@@#
###§£*\~-¨ she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ¨-~\*£§###
###@†==^,.              throw it away.              .,^==†@###
#§%%*~...,                                          ,...~*%%§#
#@¤@=†»:¨.                                          .¨:»†=@¤@#
###¤$$/-:¨                                          ¨:-/$$¤###
##@£*†~^,.                                          .,^~†*£@##
#§§%†«~,¨.                                          .¨,~«†%§§#
##&&*=».¨,                                          ,¨.»=*&&##