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