##@#£†*-.,                                          ,.-*†£#@##
#@£&%*:«-.                                          .-«:*%&£@#
@#&§£=†=-,                                          ,-=†=£§&#@
§%^,,..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..,,^%§
£%*^,¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨,^*%£
#@£¤%%;».,                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, .-«*†@@###
@##§%$\~.,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,.~\$%§##@
##@§*§:=,¨ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ¨,=:§*§@##
#@#¤$%*=.,                                          ,.=*%$¤#@#
##@##&^«.. my mom is here now. i ask  her  for some ..«^&##@##
#£#%~«¨,.. particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ..,¨«~%#£#
##§&§~-~,, she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to ,,~-~§&§##
§#&%=%†~..              throw it away.              ..~†%=%&#§
@@@^~¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨~^@@@
§#%$%/«-..                                          ..-«/%$%#§
####$=\«^.                                          .^«\=$####
#@@#£=/-^¨                                          ¨^-/=£#@@#
#@#£$%:=~.                                          .~=:%$£#@#
#@#¤£%:-:¨                                          ¨:-:%£¤#@#