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