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