¨^~†§&@###                                          ###@&§†~^¨
¨--/$§§#@#                                          #@#§§$/--¨
¨¨,,~†*#@#                                          #@#*†~,,¨¨
,,¨..~,=^¤                                          ¤^=,~..¨,,
¨..^~\;;$#                                          #$;;\~^..¨
.:«*$$§#@#                statuette                 #@#§$$*«:.
¨,.¨~/†=%§                                          §%=†/~¨.,¨
.~=†§$#### %*¤*$&¤&§§$%§%£@«»»~«~«-¤*%¤$$$%$££$£$¤% ####$§†=~.
¨.«;\*=$%£                 %§@&$¤%£@                £%$=*\;«.¨
,,=~/\£%%&                                          &%%£\/~=,,
,,,¨~://&# forests around my childhood home.  thick #&//:~¨,,,
¨~~-~**^§@ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and @§^**~-~~¨
.:~=~\@¤£@       forgotten. wild boars roaming      @£¤@\~=~:.
,,,--/†#£@ underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it @£#†/--,,,
¨,.,¨.-:*§ is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having §*:-.¨,.,¨
,¨^:-:$&£# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #£&$:-:^¨,
,,«;$&£###                                          ###£&$;«,,
,¨,,:^;$¤@ there's a river  passing by,  from  east @¤$;^:,,¨,
¨.»=*@£### to west, getting broader and  deeper and ###£@*=».¨
,,,,¨:.:&& slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just &&:.:¨,,,,
,,..,=%%&£ where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let £&%%=,..,,
.^=:=%§### through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ###§%=:=^.
,.»†*%¤@@#                river bed.                #@@¤%*†».,
.,-\$@@###                                          ###@@$\-,.
^~\†$@####                    *                     ####@$†\~^
.¨..,;^§@#                                          #@§^;,..¨.
¨,~=%*£@## the  riverbanks  reek of magic.  tonight ##@£*%=~,¨
.,~:%@@#@# they  had been a swampworld with  sylvan #@#@@%:~,.
¨,¨.¨,~/$# water,  stone rings and  floating  moss. #$/~,¨.¨,¨
,.~†=$#@## you  could've  found me wallowing around ##@#$=†~.,
.^-*$&§@£@ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got @£@§&$*-^.
.¨.¨,,.-†£                  bitten.                 £†-.,,¨.¨.
¨--*†**££#                                          #££**†*--¨
,¨,.¨.,~%# but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid #%~,.¨.,¨,
¨,,.¨.~:£# ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an #£:~.¨.,,¨
..-**$¤### orange  tin   radio  and  a  translucent ###¤$**-..
,:«\$$###@      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      @###$$\«:,
,,=†^§££¤£                                          £¤££§^†=,,
¨...~^†#£#                     :                    #£#†^~...¨
.^~=%¤&###                                          ###&¤%=~^.
.^»;*$££## somethings  moving  in  the  grass. it's ##££$*;»^.
,~=*§£#@## 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.              £@£££†:~^,
....»\**§@                                          @§**\»....
,,=-;^%@#@                                          @#@%^;-=,,
¨,¨,.^£*#@                                          @#*£^.,¨,¨
¨,,,.,,;$@                                          @$;,,.,,,¨
,:~;*&¤@@#                                          #@@¤&*;~:,
¨..^»$^^¤#                                          #¤^^$»^..¨