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