#@#¤@^*=~¨                                          ¨~=*^@¤#@#
###&£=;~,.                                          .,~;=£&###
¤¤$*^~=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=~^*$¤¤
¶@&%*:,..,                                          ,..,:*%&@¶
#&%£¤%†«~.                                          .~«†%¤£%&#
####$%=«,¨                 statuette                ¨,«=%$####
#@#§&%/-~,                                          ,~-/%&§#@#
@&*$«-.:,¨ £@*&¤%$¤¤@§%&@*%=-~»=«~-$*%$$£@§&§&&@*@% ¨,:.-«$*&@
####@%:~,.                 *@*£%*&£&                .,~:%@####
#**†=%†~~.                                          .~~†%=†**#
####%^^»,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,»^^%####
##@@&*:-,, pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ,,-:*&@@##
##@£%†\«,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,«\†%£@##
#@£#%==«,, underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ,,«==%#£@#
¤^:,:^¨.,. is  dark and moist,  the  canopy  having .,.¨^:,:^¤
@¤§^*.,¨,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,¨,.*^§¤@
#@¤¤¤†;«~.                                          .~«;†¤¤¤@#
@££#$^†»^¨ there's a river passing  by,  from  east ¨^»†^$#££@
£@£#@$†~-, to west, getting broader and  deeper and ,-~†$@#£@£
¤§*»,,¨¨¨¨ slower as it goes.  equisetum grow  just ¨¨¨¨,,»*§¤
¤†:..¨,¨., where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ,.¨,¨..:†¤
##£¤%§*«^. through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky .^«*§%¤£##
##¶#&†/«~,                river bed.                ,~«/†&#¶##
#@#&@$^=:.                                          .:=^$@&#@#
#§&$*^-~¨,                     :                    ,¨~-^*$&§#
£@%£@%=-^,                                          ,^-=%@£%@£
£&@@\«-¨., the  riverbanks  reek of magic.  tonight ,.¨-«\@@&£
###£%%^»,¨ they had  been  a swampworld with sylvan ¨,»^%%£###
¶¤¤^~..... water, stone rings  and  floating  moss. .....~^¤¤¶
##@§**†-,. you could've found  me wallowing  around .,-†**§@##
##£&$%^=.. on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ..=^%$&£##
@¶¤#£^=~.,                  bitten.                 ,.~=^£#¤¶@
##@£%*=».,                                          ,.»=*%£@##
##&$%†=«,¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨,«=†%$&##
§§&§$$/--. 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.              .,~\@§@###
#@@§§*;«..                                          ..«;*§§@@#
##¶§@*†~~¨                                          ¨~~†*@§¶##
¤††%%%=~.,                                          ,.~=%%%††¤
#@@£&%†»-,                                          ,-»†%&£@@#
#@#&*%*~~¨                                          ¨~~*%*&#@#
##@&£%*~^¨                                          ¨^~*%£&@##