..»/*¤####                                          ####¤*/»..
,.--^†¤###                                          ###¤†^--.,
¨,=;*@£###                                          ###£@*;=,¨
.,~~\*&@##                                          ##@&*\~~,.
¨-=†*&¶###                                          ###¶&*†=-¨
,¨-=*=£###                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 ###$$\~,,.
¨.-/^&#### must have been laying  in the  wet dirt, ####&^/-.¨
,.:-*%%£## and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my ##£%%*-:.,
¨-»/*£@@##            other belongings.             ##@@£*/»-¨
,.~~^*§###                                          ###§*^~~.,
¨-=;*&£### it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ###£&*;=-¨
¨,,~;^*### on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ###*^;~,,¨
¨^~^†&####   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ####&†^~^¨
¨¨,»^§$#@# freshly made, not yet  completely dried. #@#$§^»,¨¨
.^~:=§####                                          ####§=:~^.
,,,~†%*@## my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some ##@*%†~,,,
,.~:^&@### particle  board  for it  to dry  on, but ###@&^:~.,
¨..»:†*@@# she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to #@@*†:»..¨
,-»^%$£@##              throw it away.              ##@£$%^»-,
,.^~^%%#@#                                          #@#%%^~^.,
.,~=^%£###                                          ###£%^=~,.
¨..-^†§£@#                                          #@£§†^-..¨
,:-*§¤@###                                          ###@¤§*-:,
,¨.~^=@###                                          ###@=^~.¨,
,^»=$$#@##                                          ##@#$$=»^,