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