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