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