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