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