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