¨^~^*$##@#                                          #@##$*^~^¨
¨~»^†&#¤§§                                          §§¤#&†^»~¨
,..¨,-*^*@                                          @*^*-,¨..,
.:«;=£&£##                                          ##£&£=;«:.
¨~=\=$@###                                          ###@$=\=~¨
..~:*%£@##                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   #$*-.,.¨¨.
.,~=%§&@## freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ##@&§%=~,.
.,:^=*%†£¤                                          ¤£†%*=^:,.
¨:~†=£¤@## my mom is  here now. i ask her for  some ##@¤£=†~:¨
¨^~:%¤&##@ particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but @##&¤%:~^¨
,.-*†%&##@ she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to @##&%†*-.,
,^-^£§####              throw it away.              ####§£^-^,
..¨,.~»-$#                                          #$-»~.,¨..
,~~†*¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤*†~~,
,:«=$§££@#                                          #@££§$=«:,
,--:§¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤§:--,
,.-«~~-=@#                                          #@=-~~«-.,
¨,«†=&§@@#                                          #@@§&=†«,¨