##@#$††=-.                                          .-=††$#@##
#@£%**-,,,                                          ,,,-**%£@#
###@£*=~~.                                          .~~=*£@###
##@$*;».,,                                          ,,.»;*$@##
##@#**^«-¨                                          ¨-«^**#@##
##£$§;».,.                statuette                 .,.»;§$£##
###£*^†-.,                                          ,.-†^*£###
###@*;«,.. $¤$¤§&*$*£@$££&§~~=»«~-~@%£@%*£*$%¤&$¤££ ..,«;*@###
##@#¤†;«-¨                 %*%@@§&$$                ¨-«;†¤#@##
###¤*^«-,¨                                          ¨,-«^*¤###
####£§*-:. forests  around my childhood home. thick .:-*§£####
###$$;«^,¨ 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.              ..~*%£####
#@@*$†=,..                                          ..,=†$*@@#
###¶¤†/~.¨                                          ¨.~/†¤¶###
#@@§*==,.,                                          ,.,==*§@@#
####@=^»^,                                          ,^»^=@####
###%%:»^.,                                          ,.^»:%%###
###££$\~:¨                                          ¨:~\$££###