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