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