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