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