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