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