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