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