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