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