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