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