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