###@¤*=-..                                          ..-=*¤@###
##¶%%\=:¨¨                                          ¨¨:=\%%¶##
####**;~,,                                          ,,~;**####
#@¶%*;-:.,                                          ,.:-;*%¶@#
####£*=-,.                                          .,-=*£####
##¶@^:-.¨,                 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.              ,~=†=§¶###
###%=*~:¨.                                          .¨:~*=%###
###£¤**~.,                                          ,.~**¤£###
#@#%=^»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»^=%#@#
##@#£*;»,.                                          .,»;*£#@##
###£*^-~..                                          ..~-^*£###
###¶§=*~~.                                          .~~*=§¶###