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