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