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