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