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