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