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