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