###¤¤*/=.,                                          ,.=/*¤¤###
#@&£%†«,,¨                                          ¨,,«†%£&@#
@@&%;~^,,¨                                          ¨,,^~;%&@@
##§£^*=,..                                          ..,=*^£§##
###&*$=~.¨                                          ¨.~=$*&###
##§$$/~^,.                 statuette                .,^~/$$§##
#§¤**~^,.,                                          ,.,^~**¤§#
##££=:-,¨. £@$£%$§§£¤§@£$¤&~«-=-=«»@%§§$$&&£¤¤@§%£% .¨,-:=££##
###@&=:~:,                *%%%@@$¤&                 ,:~:=&@###
##&§§:=:¨¨                                          ¨¨:=:§§&##
@@%^/»~,.¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨.,~»/^%@@
##@$†*«,¨. pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .¨,«*†$@##
###£@*=«:,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,:«=*@£###
##§§$;~,,. underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it .,,~;$§§##
##*§†~~,.. is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having ..,~~†§*##
#@#£*\«,,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,,«\*£#@#
###£$^*=-¨                                          ¨-=*^$£###
##@$$†~~.. 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.              ¨-=^§&§@##
#@#@=/~,¨.                                          .¨,~/=@#@#
#££%\»-..¨                                          ¨..-»\%££#
#@#§*;~-.,                                          ,.-~;*§#@#
##@£§%†«..                                          ..«†%§£@##
##§$†=~^¨.                                          .¨^~=†$§##
#@£§:«-,.,                                          ,.,-«:§£@#