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