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