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