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