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