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