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