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