##¶&*$†~~,                                          ,~~†$*&¶##
#£¤%†\=~..                                          ..~=\†%¤£#
##¶§&*†=,¨                                          ¨,=†*&§¶##
##¤$§^--,.                                          .,--^§$¤##
###&&*/«:.                                          .:«/*&&###
###@**»..¨                 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 ¨.,~/^¤¤¶#
##£§*$\--¨ particle board  for  it to dry  on,  but ¨--\$*§£##
##££†^«.,. she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to .,.«^†££##
##@#§†\=-,              throw it away.              ,-=\†§#@##
#£&%^;-,,¨                                          ¨,,-;^%&£#
##@#¤%\~-.                                          .-~\%¤#@##
#£¤$^\-..¨                                          ¨..-\^$¤£#
##@#£§^=:.                                          .:=^§£#@##
##&%*^-^,¨                                          ¨,^-^*%&##
##@&*†;~,,                                          ,,~;†*&@##