###§%*†..,                                          ,..†*%§###
#£§*%/^¨,¨                                          ¨,¨^/%*§£#
##@§£=^~¨¨                                          ¨¨~^=£§@##
##@@¤&%=-¨                                          ¨-=%&¤@@##
###¤$†:~,¨                                          ¨,~:†$¤###
#£&$%=:¨,¨                statuette                 ¨,¨:=%$&£#
#@#&@==:,,                                          ,,:==@&#@#
###@§$%:~. *§@£*&*%$$§£%£*$»=~--~~-£%§££¤£§%$$¤&%%$ .~:%$§@###
#@@&$%=^¨¨                 &£$%£&£&$                ¨¨^=%$&@@#
#@§$§:-,¨¨                                          ¨¨,-:§$§@#
###§&%;~,, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,,~;%&§###
###£@@$*,. 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 .,*=££¶###
##¶§$%†^.¨              throw it away.              ¨.^†%$§¶##
#@¤¤§\...,                                          ,...\§¤¤@#
#@¶§¤*;:,¨                                          ¨,:;*¤§¶@#
###££%†^,¨                                          ¨,^†%££###
#@#££=*~,¨                                          ¨,~*=££#@#
#¶@*%†,.¨,                                          ,¨.,†%*@¶#
#@#§$§^,,.                                          .,,^§$§#@#