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