##@¤$§†».¨                                          ¨.»†§$¤@##
@%/^,,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,,^/%@
####$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$####
###@$†\~:.                                          .:~\†$@###
#@@¤**/~.¨                                          ¨.~/**¤@@#
@#$^:,.,¨.                statuette                 .¨,.,:^$#@
##¶£$§/»^,                                          ,^»/§$£¶##
##¶§@*†-~. £$%$@$§%%%%$¤£&*~~==~===$%*¤§$£$&$£§%¤@$ .~-†*@§¶##
#@@#&$=«^.                 %£&$§££@%                .^«=$&#@@#
£=^=~,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,~=^=£
#%=†*=-.,. forests  around my childhood home. thick .,.-=*†=%#
#@@¤**\--¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨--\**¤@@#
###¤¤*;«.,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,.«;*¤¤###
¶$£*-,¨.,, 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.              ,.~/$†*%#@
#@##&^†~~,                                          ,~~†^&##@#
###@$†;~,,                                          ,,~;†$@###
&§@§&%†«~¨                                          ¨~«†%&§@§&
####$^=-.,                                          ,.-=^$####
§£¤££§=-.¨                                          ¨.-=§££¤£§
#@¶@$$/~-,                                          ,-~/$$@¶@#