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