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