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