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