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