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