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