.^»^%^=*^&                                          &^*=^%^»^.
.:~=†§&###                                          ###&§†=~:.
¨¨,^==-%§#                                          #§%-==^,¨¨
¨^»^*§&###                                          ###&§*^»^¨
,,,,«-$£#@                                          @#£$-«,,,,
,,~†%%¤¶##                 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. @@$§/-..¨¨
.:~/†$@@@#                                          #@@@$†/~:.
,,~^^^§¤@# my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some #@¤§^^^~,,
,.«=*%££## particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but ##££%*=«.,
,^«*%%¤### she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ###¤%%*«^,
.:«\*¤####              throw it away.              ####¤*\«:.
,.-=$&¤££#                                          #££¤&$=-.,
,-~*$*#¶##                                          ##¶#*$*~-,
,¨..~,~§#@                                          @#§~,~..¨,
.,~;%£§@#@                                          @#@§£%;~,.
¨,-:^£@#@#                                          #@#@£^:-,¨
¨-=^^&#£##                                          ##£#&^^=-¨