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