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