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