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