##£#§^=»-.                                          .-»=^§#£##
#¶&&§*~^.,                                          ,.^~*§&&¶#
#@@¤@^^«-,                                          ,-«^^@¤@@#
###£@&*\=~                                          ~=\*&@£###
##¶&¤$:»,¨                                          ¨,»:$¤&¶##
@£§@*^»:.¨                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 ¨-»;^£@@@#
####@$^=»: she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to :»=^$@####
###§$*/»-,              throw it away.              ,-»/*$§###
##&§=*»:,.                                          .,:»*=§&##
##£&**/~^,                                          ,^~/**&£##
##@#§£==~^                                          ^~==£§#@##
####%*:=^.                                          .^=:*%####
#@@$==~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~==$@@#
##¶£&§:«^,                                          ,^«:§&£¶##