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