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