¨.¨,,«%§##                                          ##§%«,,¨.¨
.--^**#@##                                          ##@#**^--.
,,-†§&@¶##                                          ##¶@&§†-,,
,.~:$%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%$:~.,
¨-~/§$&£@#                                          #@£&$§/~-¨
¨:-*^*£@##                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.              £%†~^::..,
,,~;=§####                                          ####§=;~,,
..»††&###@                                          @###&††»..
.~«*$$¤£¶#                                          #¶£¤$$*«~.
¨~~;%£#£##                                          ##£#£%;~~¨
¨-«;†$@@@#                                          #@@@$†;«-¨
¨,^.=^$@£#                                          #£@$^=.^,¨