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