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