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