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