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