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