#@@*†*«.,,                                          ,,.«*†*@@#
#@£=^»,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,»^=£@#
##¶§†/--,¨                                          ¨,--/†§¶##
####¤=^~-.                                          .-~^=¤####
##¶$%:»,.,                                          ,.,»:%$¶##
#@*§=--¨,.                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 .¨:~**$@##
###¶£§:«~, she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ,~«:§£¶###
##£¤%:~:¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨:~:%¤£##
@#£†:~-,¨¨                                          ¨¨,-~:†£#@
###¤§=»:.¨                                          ¨.:»=§¤###
###¶%^†~:,                                          ,:~†^%¶###
##@§$*~,.,                                          ,.,~*$§@##
#£&$^~:...                                          ...:~^$&£#
##¶$%=~,..                                          ..,~=%$¶##