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