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