.^=;*@#@@#                                          #@@#@*;=^.
,,.¨-*§*%§                                          §%*§*-¨.,,
¨,==^$&@@#                                          #@@&$^==,¨
¨..,=*†=£¶                                          ¶£=†*=,..¨
¨^«;†%£###                                          ###£%†;«^¨
.^»;%¤£@##                 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. §£$*=.,,.¨
.^~=†&#@@#                                          #@@#&†=~^.
.--/%%&### my mom is here now. i ask  her for  some ###&%%/--.
,,=*=*£@## particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but ##@£*=*=,,
.,-^§§#@@¶ she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ¶@@#§§^-,.
,^~\=£¤@##              throw it away.              ##@¤£=\~^,
.,»†%$####                                          ####$%†»,.
.,..,=%£@@                                          @@£%=,..,.
,,-^=%§£##                                          ##£§%=^-,,
.¨¨,,.=$£#                                          #£$=.,,¨¨.
.,~†%%##@#                                          #@##%%†~,.
¨.,,^»/†¤@                                          @¤†/»^,,.¨