####§*†=,,                                          ,,=†*§####
#%=^,,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,,^=%#
£$@¤†~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~†¤@$£
##@£§%==^¨                                          ¨^==%§£@##
#¤$@@%:«-.                                          .-«:%@@$¤#
##££$%*=^.                 statuette                .^=*%$££##
@#%†*:.,,,                                          ,,,.:*†%#@
#@@§%^†=^, @£&£§$%%£¤%@**$£=-~»~«-~$§%¤$£@§$¤£$£§@% ,^=†^%§@@#
#@#¤&=^«..                 &$%£$&%£&                ..«^=&¤#@#
¤%^,,¨,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,¨,,^%¤
@$%--..... forests around my  childhood home. thick .....--%$@
##@££%;«:. 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 ,-~:%$§@##
###§¤††=., she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,.=††¤§###
##@¶%%=-:¨              throw it away.              ¨:-=%%¶@##
##¶#%**~,.                                          .,~**%#¶##
##@#%†;-:¨                                          ¨:-;†%#@##
##@#$*†=:,                                          ,:=†*$#@##
##@&§^†~,,                                          ,,~†^§&@##
@#£¤%$;~,.                                          .,~;$%¤£#@
###¶%§*~:¨                                          ¨:~*§%¶###