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