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