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