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