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