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