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