,,-†%$&¶#@                                          @#¶&$%†-,,
.^»*%§&@@#                                          #@@&§%*»^.
.,-.†:§£@¤                                          ¤@£§:†.-,.
.~»/%£¤#@#                                          #@#¤£%/»~.
..-*=*%&¤#                                          #¤&%*=*-..
.,«=%$####                 statuette                ####$%=«,.
¨..¨,~*§$¶                                          ¶$§*~,¨..¨
,,,.=»~»†& %¤@%%@¤§%$£§¤¤&§~=~==«=»%$£&*¤@%&@&@$£%¤ &†»~»=.,,,
¨~~:*¤§£##                §¤%&¤&£§*                 ##£§¤*:~~¨
.~«\§$#@@#                                          #@@#$§\«~.
¨.,.~==†@¶ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¶@†==~.,.¨
¨^-*$¤¤@## 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, ##$/«,.,..
,.¨,:=%£*£   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   £*£%=:,¨.,
,-==*&§@@# freshly made, not yet completely  dried. #@@§&*==-,
..«;*¤&@##                                          ##@&¤*;«..
,¨¨.,¨»\†§ my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some §†\»¨,.¨¨,
,^~:†%@@## particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but ##@@%†:~^,
,¨¨,,,^*§£ she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to £§*^,,,¨¨,
..¨~^\%%&@              throw it away.              @&%%\^~¨..
¨^»^^§####                                          ####§^^»^¨
.,»/%£@¶##                                          ##¶@£%/»,.
,.¨¨-~*§%&                                          &%§*~-¨¨.,
.¨..=%&$£#                                          #£$&%=..¨.
^-**$¤#@##                                          ##@#¤$**-^
..,~,..=$¤                                          ¤$=..,~,..