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