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