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