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