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