,^»†$@#£##                                          ##£#@$†»^,
,¨~«;§%###                                          ###%§;«~¨,
¨,-^$*¤###                                          ###¤*$^-,¨
¨¨~-*§£££#                                          #£££§*-~¨¨
¨^«†*¤§###                                          ###§¤*†«^¨
,,^«††@#@#                 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.             ##@@$§;».¨
..,=:§$###                                          ###$§:=,..
,:«^%*£@## it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ##@£*%^«:,
¨,:«\*&££# on   her  stomach,  feet  in  the   air, #££&*\«:,¨
,:~*%@@£##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##£@@%*~:,
.¨:=*§£¤£# freshly made, not yet completely  dried. #£¤£§*=:¨.
,,=:$%####                                          ####%$:=,,
,.:~;%*¤## my mom is  here now. i ask  her for some ##¤*%;~:.,
¨.«;§@#@## particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ##@#@§;«.¨
¨.^»/*%### she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ###%*/»^.¨
.,»;*@¤@##              throw it away.              ##@¤@*;»,.
¨,^~:*¤@¶#                                          #¶@¤*:~^,¨
¨.~;†£§¶##                                          ##¶§£†;~.¨
.,,«^$&£##                                          ##£&$^«,,.
..«/*£#£##                                          ##£#£*/«..
..~~/§$¤@#                                          #@¤$§/~~..
..~†%££@##                                          ##@££%†~..