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