##@#%%*~:.                                          .:~*%%#@##
###$=:»~¨.                                          .¨~»:=$###
#£$%*~..¨¨                                          ¨¨..~*%$£#
##£$%:«:,.                                          .,:«:%$£##
##@¶£^*».,                                          ,.»*^£¶@##
#@#$^^«,,.                 statuette                .,,«^^$#@#
#@@==-,.,.                                          .,.,-==@@#
#@@$=†~.,, $¤&££$££¤£%%$&$*==«~««~-$¤*$§$%%&%$¤$%&* ,,.~†=$@@#
###¶$^/=:¨                $£%%£§§$§                 ¨:=/^$¶###
##@%%*-.¨.                                          .¨.-*%%@##
##¤^^=^¨¨. forests  around my childhood home. thick .¨¨^=^^¤##
###¤%/~^,. pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .,^~/%¤###
##@#£==-..       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ..-==£#@##
##@*=*~:¨. underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it .¨:~*=*@##
##§%:=^... is dark  and  moist,  the canopy  having ...^=:%§##
##@@§:-,¨¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨¨,-:§@@##
###£§^*~,,                                          ,,~*^§£###
###*%;»,,¨ there's  a  river passing by, from  east ¨,,»;%*###
#¶%*;=,,,. to west, getting broader and deeper  and .,,,=;*%¶#
##@@$:~~¨¨ 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.              ¨,«/†&####
###%=/-,¨,                                          ,¨,-/=%###
@#@$\=,,,.                                          .,,,=\$@#@
##£@§*=,.¨                                          ¨.,=*§@£##
###@$%=«.¨                                          ¨.«=%$@###
##@@*\=~..                                          ..~=\*@@##
##@^\»^,.,                                          ,.,^»\^@##