###&$%=»,,                                          ,,»=%$&###
#¶&%%=-~,¨                                          ¨,~-=%%&¶#
##@&%*=~-¨                                          ¨-~=*%&@##
#@£@^\~^,¨                                          ¨,^~\^@£@#
##@£**:-,.                                          .,-:**£@##
##&&$/».,,                 statuette                ,,.»/$&&##
##¶#%%:-:¨                                          ¨:-:%%#¶##
#@#¤†;~-¨, £&£&$&££¤£%§$%£@~-»=»-=»$&%@$*@£**%$£¤§§ ,¨-~;†¤#@#
##@£¤†/«^¨                @$¤&$$$%£                 ¨^«/†¤£@##
#¶£%%*«~.¨                                          ¨.~«*%%£¶#
##@@&†:»:, 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 ,¨,=\*@#£#
####$†\--¨ particle  board for  it  to dry  on, but ¨--\†$####
#@££$^=,,, she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ,,,=^$££@#
##¶#£$=~,¨              throw it away.              ¨,~=$£#¶##
#£@$*\~-.¨                                          ¨.-~\*$@£#
##@£$**~.,                                          ,.~**$£@##
#@¤$%^~,,¨                                          ¨,,~^%$¤@#
###@%$;-~.                                          .~-;$%@###
#@&¤^\=,.,                                          ,.,=\^¤&@#
##¶#&§/».¨                                          ¨.»/§&#¶##