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