##@&%%^=:¨                                          ¨:=^%%&@##
#£&$^=~-,.                                          .,-~=^$&£#
###¤*§\~:¨                                          ¨:~\§*¤###
###¤=\-~¨,                                          ,¨~-\=¤###
##£§£$*»,,                                          ,,»*$£§£##
#£#$^=~:,,                statuette                 ,,:~=^$#£#
##@£@=*«,¨                                          ¨,«*=@£@##
##@$†*=,,. §&%£§££$£@$*&$$%~~-»»-==§$@££§§@*%$£££@£ .,,=*†$@##
##@§$§=«-¨                 &@*%%%£$$                ¨-«=§$§@##
#¶@£%:-...                                          ...-:%£@¶#
###§%^:~,, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,,~:^%§###
#¶@%===^,. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .,^===%@¶#
##£@§§=«,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,«=§§@£##
#@££%;~-.¨ underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ¨.-~;%££@#
##@§¤^†~.¨ is dark and  moist,  the  canopy  having ¨.~†^¤§@##
##¤£*=-,,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,,-=*£¤##
##¶@%%*~^¨                                          ¨^~*%%@¶##
#@@¤§†~~.¨ there's a river  passing  by, from  east ¨.~~†§¤@@#
##£§£*;=., to  west, getting broader and deeper and ,.=;*£§£##
#@§@$*«~., 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.              ,:~/=&£###
##§@$;»,,.                                          .,,»;$@§##
###£%$;»~.                                          .~»;$%£###
##£¤^/--..                                          ..--/^¤£##
##@#¤==~-¨                                          ¨-~==¤#@##
##£%**~^,,                                          ,,^~**%£##
###££%\»^.                                          .^»\%££###