##¶¤*§;~,.                                          .,~;§*¤¶##
##&§§^».¨,                                          ,¨.»^§§&##
###¤%*:~..                                          ..~:*%¤###
#@@%*^~~¨,                                          ,¨~~^*%@@#
##¶&%§:».,                                          ,.»:§%&¶##
##£$**-^¨.                 statuette                .¨^-**$£##
####£^;«^¨                                          ¨^«;^£####
#¶@¤=^«^¨. *&&¤$£*%@§%*¤¤§¤~~«~-==~%*¤$&**$&$%$*%%¤ .¨^«^=¤@¶#
##@&$*/«.¨                §$£@£§$@&                 ¨.«/*$&@##
##&£*†»-.¨                                          ¨.-»†*£&##
###¤%%=»^, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,^»=%%¤###
#@#%=^«-,, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,,-«^=%#@#
###£$%*«,.       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 ¨--\%$¤£##
##§¤§^~-.. she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ..-~^§¤§##
###£&^:=:,              throw it away.              ,:=:^&£###
#££%$;»-.,                                          ,.-»;$%££#
##@#£=:»,,                                          ,,»:=£#@##
#@¤£*=-~,¨                                          ¨,~-=*£¤@#
###¤&%*«^,                                          ,^«*%&¤###
##§£$;-,,.                                          .,,-;$£§##
##£&£%/~~¨                                          ¨~~/%£&£##