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