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