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