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