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