.-«†$$####                                          ####$$†«-.
¨¨~~;*%¤@#                                          #@¤%*;~~¨¨
.^«\**§¶##                                          ##¶§**\«^.
,.-«;**§@@                                          @@§**;«-.,
,.=*$£¤£@#                                          #@£¤£$*=.,
¨,.«†§%§¶@                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.              ##@§%†=~^,
,.~«==§¤##                                          ##¤§==«~.,
,~~=**¤###                                          ###¤**=~~,
¨.,~=$%§##                                          ##§%$=~,.¨
¨.-;*§¤###                                          ###¤§*;-.¨
,..~\%$£@@                                          @@£$%\~..,
,.~^%§####                                          ####§%^~.,