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