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