###@¤*=-.,                                          ,.-=*¤@###
#@#@*=~,,,                                          ,,,~=*@#@#
@¤&^*--,,.                                          .,,--*^&¤@
##§%*†»^¨¨                                          ¨¨^»†*%§##
###&%$/=:¨                                          ¨:=/$%&###
##@$*†»^¨.                 statuette                .¨^»†*$@##
@#&**~^,,,                                          ,,,^~**&#@
##§£^*~^¨. ££%£%%@$§@££%$$§~~==~~-»*£%%@&$£@$$&%@£* .¨^~*^£§##
##@£@§^-,.                %§$$$£$@@                 .,-^§@£@##
##¤%%;~,,.                                          .,,~;%%¤##
@&%%^=^,., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.,^=^%%&@
##§%^=-,.. pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ..,-=^%§##
###@%%/~,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,~/%%@###
#@#&^†~-¨. underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it .¨-~†^&#@#
#£$*=»..,¨ 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.              .,»*§¤@###
##¤%%†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†%%¤##
#§@$:«~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~«:$@§#
#@@@*=».¨,                                          ,¨.»=*@@@#
##@¤£*/~,.                                          .,~/*£¤@##
##@£$*~^.¨                                          ¨.^~*$£@##
@#$%^~:..,                                          ,..:~^%$#@