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