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