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