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