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