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