##¶#%*/»:.                                          .:»/*%#¶##
###**;«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«;**###
##£@%=;»,.                                          .,»;=%@£##
##@£$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$£@##
###¤§*†~,¨                                          ¨,~†*§¤###
#@§*$=~...                 statuette                ...~=$*§@#
##£@&§/~:,                                          ,:~/§&@£##
#£¤£§†«-., %¤££§£¤**@&$%*$§~~~~~«=~%££*&@$&$%£§$£§& ,.-«†§£¤£#
##¶¤*†\~.¨                 §*&%¤&**$                ¨.~\†*¤¶##
#@§£%^«,¨,                                          ,¨,«^%£§@#
##@£$§*«:. forests around my  childhood home. thick .:«*§$£@##
##@*%=«,,. 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 ,¨:==$%&##
###&%**--,              throw it away.              ,--**%&###
#@&§=;=,,,                                          ,,,=;=§&@#
###£$§†«~,                                          ,~«†§$£###
#@&$%†=,.¨                                          ¨.,=†%$&@#
####%%*«,.                                          .,«*%%####
#@#¤=\=~,.                                          .,~=\=¤#@#
##£§£=/=~.                                          .~=/=£§£##