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