###¤*%\~,¨                                          ¨,~\%*¤###
##@***~-,.                                          .,-~***@##
###§£$*-..                                          ..-*$£§###
##¤$*\~.,.                                          .,.~\*$¤##
##@#@%†~:¨                                          ¨:~†%@#@##
#@@¤*=-,¨,                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.              ¨.~;*§§@##
##&¤*:«^,,                                          ,,^«:*¤&##
###¤§†/»~.                                          .~»/†§¤###
#@@£^:«^,,                                          ,,^«:^£@@#
##@#§%†=.¨                                          ¨.=†%§#@##
##¤%%;~:¨.                                          .¨:~;%%¤##
##@§%$^-^¨                                          ¨^-^$%§@##