,^,,~^=*%§                                          §%*=^~,,^,
,.,¨~/$£@#                                          #@£$/~¨,.,
,~~†^&§###                                          ###§&^†~~,
,-~\$%%@¶#                                          #¶@%%$\~-,
,,-†**&@##                                          ##@&**†-,,
.~»;†%%£#¶                statuette                 ¶#£%%†;»~.
.,-=$*@§££                                          ££§@*$=-,.
.,.,=//£&§ £§$$%£§@*¤£££&¤$==-~=-~~£$£%$$@%*$§$*$$$ §&£//=,.,.
..»*^&&@##                @$§*¤%$§£                 ##@&&^*»..
..,»~/@#@@                                          @@#@/~»,..
.¨..~«$&¶# forests around my  childhood home. thick #¶&$«~..¨.
¨¨..,/$§#@ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and @#§$/,..¨¨
,,=*†$#&#&       forgotten. wild boars roaming      &#&#$†*=,,
,~«:§%#@## 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 §^$=/=¨,¨.
.,~*%£¤#@# particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but #@#¤£%*~,.
¨,-/*£££## she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ##£££*/-,¨
,..~:\;%@¶              throw it away.              ¶@%;\:~..,
,-«/*£¤###                                          ###¤£*/«-,
,,¨.^^«*£@                                          @£*«^^.¨,,
.~-\$*@£#@                                          @#£@*$\-~.
,-~†*@&££#                                          #££&@*†~-,
,^»^%$*#£@                                          @£#*$%^»^,
.-=;§$¤###                                          ###¤$§;=-.