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