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