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