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