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