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