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