##@#@^=-~¨                                          ¨~-=^@#@##
¶#&%*«»¨,.                                          .,¨»«*%&#¶
###@$^†«-.                                          .-«†^$@###
###@@†^».,                                          ,.»^†@@###
##@&$%\»,.                                          .,»\%$&@##
#@$§»^--¨,                statuette                 ,¨--^»§$@#
##&*\=.,,¨                                          ¨,,.=\*&##
##£@£*=».¨ $%£%£**@¤%§§£%§*~~=«»»=«%§$@@*$@$*$$££$§ ¨.»=*£@£##
@§\*\~¨¨,.                 %£%£*%£$$                .,¨¨~\*\§@
£^§~=¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨=~§^£
###¤*%/-.¨ 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 ....¨,«*@#
##££$%†~~¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨~~†%$££##
##¶£¤§/=~¨                                          ¨~=/§¤£¶##
##@£$$\~:. the soil is  muddy. i  slip  when trying .:~\$$£@##
###@§*††,. to   get  up,   still  looking  at   the .,††*§@###
#@§¤%*=«,, direction of  sound  rather than  at  my ,,«=*%¤§@#
¶%*†\\~.,¨ hands,  who are busy  putting things  in ¨,.~\\†*%¶
##@£&†/=,.               my pockets.                .,=/†&£@##
¤&££†*.¨..                                          ..¨.*†££&¤
###¶@£*»,. then   i  run  east   toward  my   home. .,»*£@¶###
##¶#%$\=~¨                                          ¨~=\$%#¶##
##£§§††--.                    ^                     .--††§§£##
####*†;«^,                                          ,^«;†*####
¶§%¤†~«..¨ i am not  followed, and slow down in the ¨..«~†¤%§¶
#@#££†:~.. clearing  where  you  at first  can spot ..~:†££#@#
#@**\:,,., the   house,  not  yet   really  in  the ,.,,:\**@#
#@£@=^:¨¨. backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my .¨¨:^=@£@#
£$^=-=».¨¨ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ¨¨.»=-=^$£
£#%::,,¨.. clay  figure i've never  seen before. it ..¨,,::%#£
###@&†=«,. must have  been  laying in the wet dirt, .,«=†&@###
#@@%%;-.., and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my ,..-;%%@@#
##@@%§:«,.             other belongings.            .,«:§%@@##
###@@&^=-:                                          :-=^&@@###
&*$«»~,..¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ¨..,~»«$*&
@££=*/..,, on   her  stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ,,../*=££@
@£§».,¨¨¨,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,¨¨¨,.»§£@
##£¤&=\~., freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ,.~\=&¤£##
##@¤£%^-^,                                          ,^-^%£¤@##
##£#%%†~-, my mom is here now. i ask  her  for some ,-~†%%#£##
##&£;,¨,,, particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ,,,¨,;£&##
##@==\«... she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ...«\==@##
####@%^-,¨              throw it away.              ¨,-^%@####
###@§==~:.                                          .:~==§@###
@#£&@§†»,¨                                          ¨,»†§@&£#@
#£=$$».¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.»$$=£#
@&§*~«,,.¨                                          ¨.,,«~*§&@
#@@§%=:=..                                          ..=:=%§@@#
##£¤¤*\-.¨                                          ¨.-\*¤¤£##