¨^=†%%§&#@                                          @#&§%%†=^¨
..=:§*¤£@#                                          #@£¤*§:=..
,:~†=@#@##                                          ##@#@=†~:,
¨¨-.«=\*¤¤                                          ¤¤*\=«.-¨¨
¨^-;^¤#@##                                          ##@#¤^;-^¨
¨,¨,.,«$¤£                statuette                 £¤$«,.,¨,¨
¨,~\=*#@@#                                          #@@#*=\~,¨
¨,,¨--%¤#@ *¤%%*£%$§%&@$&££«=~=»~~»%%£§$%£%%$@**§¤@ @#¤%--¨,,¨
.^~:†$&###                 §%*$£%£&$                ###&$†:~^.
.,..«^†§§@                                          @§§†^«..,.
.:=««:\*@# forests around my  childhood home. thick #@*\:««=:.
.¨,¨,~;%§¤ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¤§%;~,¨,¨.
,~«==¤#@##       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ##@#¤==«~,
.,¨,,,^§## underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ##§^,,,¨,.
¨,»=$*%%*@ 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.              ##@££*/«^¨
.,-;^£&£@#                                          #@£&£^;-,.
,¨¨,¨,«/§#                                          #§/«,¨,¨¨,
,.~†*%##@#                                          #@##%*†~.,
.,==%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%==,.
¨¨¨:-«§=§#                                          #§=§«-:¨¨¨
..-†^%####                                          ####%^†-..