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