##@£$/=:¨,                                          ,¨:=/$£@##
###@$%†»^.                                          .^»†%$@###
##@£%\--,.                                          .,--\%£@##
##@*/»^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^»/*@##
##&£^\=-,.                                          .,-=\^£&##
##@££%^=,¨                 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 ¨^=:^$£###
##&%=†~^., particle  board  for  it to dry on,  but ,.^~†=%&##
#£&%*-,.., she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ,..,-*%&£#
##@**\=^¨.              throw it away.              .¨^=\**@##
###££†;~^,                                          ,^~;†££###
#@&@=^«^..                                          ..^«^=@&@#
#&¤§:=.,¨.                                          .¨,.=:§¤&#
##££*;~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~;*££##
###¤£$=~,,                                          ,,~=$£¤###
#@&§†^~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~^†§&@#