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