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