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