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