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