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