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