###&$*»...                                          ...»*$&###
@@¤%$~:.¨,                                          ,¨.:~$%¤@@
#@£§@†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†@§£@#
###@£%^~~¨                                          ¨~~^%£@###
##@@$=«-¨.                                          .¨-«=$@@##
#@£$*~~.¨.                 statuette                .¨.~~*$£@#
##£§@$-,¨,                                          ,¨,-$@§£##
###@#$*~,, £££&¤$¤§**@%%¤¤%«~«=~--«%$$§£@&%*$££%§££ ,,~*$#@###
###§£*~:¨¨                ¤$£§@@&%£                 ¨¨:~*£§###
#@@%§«-,.,                                          ,.,-«§%@@#
#@#&¤%=,,, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,,,=%¤&#@#
###¶&*%«-, pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ,-«%*&¶###
##£§*§»,..      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ..,»§*§£##
@#@¤=»,... underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ...,»=¤@#@
###&§^»..¨ is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ¨..»^§&###
###¶&&§=,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,=§&&¶###
#@@£%%~,,¨                                          ¨,,~%%£@@#
@@££$~,,,, there's a river  passing by,  from  east ,,,,~$££@@
##££§^~^¨¨ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¨¨^~^§££##
##@#£%§--, slower as  it goes.  equisetum grow just ,--§%£#@##
#@@@$%=-,, where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ,,-=%$@@@#
#¶£§^»-¨.¨ through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ¨.¨-»^§£¶#
###@§†»,¨¨                river bed.                ¨¨,»†§@###
##@@£$$--,                                          ,--$$£@@##
###¤¤^~,.,                    /                     ,.,~^¤¤###
#@#$*~..¨.                                          .¨..~*$#@#
###¤£$»~., the  riverbanks  reek  of magic. tonight ,.~»$£¤###
###@@$$»^, 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 ¨,»%%&@###
##£#@$=,,.              throw it away.              .,,=$@#£##
@##$==:¨.¨                                          ¨.¨:==$##@
#@£&%^-,.,                                          ,.,-^%&£@#
###@&&†-.¨                                          ¨.-†&&@###
##@#$==:.,                                          ,.:==$#@##
@#££=-:...                                          ...:-=££#@
#@@¤$%«:,¨                                          ¨,:«%$¤@@#