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