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