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