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