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