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