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