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