###@§£§†~~                                          ~~†§£§@###
##@£¤%†--,                                          ,--†%¤£@##
###¶£*$;«,                                          ,«;$*£¶###
##@#&%=-~.                                          .~-=%&#@##
##@@¤%††»~                                          ~»††%¤@@##
#@@§$%;«,.                statuette                 .,«;%$§@@#
##@£&&*†--                                          --†*&&£@##
###§§$†»-¨ *£§¤$¤£§&$**£$*@~»~=»»~-£&$&£%£££%£%@$£& ¨-»†$§§###
##@@¤¤§^»:                 £%$%&$¤$$                :»^§¤¤@@##
###@%=*=~,                                          ,~=*=%@###
###@£$*\»~ forests  around my childhood home. thick ~»\*$£@###
###@$%=«,¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨,«=%$@###
##@£&%†:~,       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.              -~\§§£@###
##@&&=;~.¨                                          ¨.~;=&&@##
####££§=~~                                          ~~=§££####
#@@#%$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$%#@@#
##@@¤@*\~~                                          ~~\*@¤@@##
##@££%*~~,                                          ,~~*%££@##
##@##@*^»:                                          :»^*@##@##