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