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