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