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