¨--:†%£§¤@                                          @¤§£%†:--¨
,¨,¨¨~^%§@                                          @§%^~¨¨,¨,
¨.,,,«§*§@                                          @§*§«,,,.¨
,,==%=**§#                                          #§**=%==,,
,.¨,«;§%§#                                          #§%§;«,¨.,
,:-†$%§@##                statuette                 ##@§%$†-:,
,.~/^@@@##                                          ##@@@^/~.,
.¨¨-,†^*¤¶ %$£@*§&¤$§%$%§*¤«-»»»=~-*§*@$%$*%%%%§*%£ ¶¤*^†,-¨¨.
,:«†§%&@##                %*¤§¤§%$&                 ##@&%§†«:,
¨--\%&¤@&#                                          #&@¤&%\--¨
.,=/$%@¶## forests around  my childhood home. thick ##¶@%$/=,.
,~»/*§£### 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.              ####§^;-,,
,:~;%$&£##                                          ##£&$%;~:,
¨,«\§£&@##                                          ##@&£§\«,¨
¨,¨¨:-~†@£                                          £@†~-:¨¨,¨
..¨¨,~-†£#                                          #£†-~,¨¨..
¨~==*@@¶##                                          ##¶@@*==~¨
,.«:§££###                                          ###££§:«.,