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