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