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