,.,,,~;$##                                          ##$;~,,,.,
¨,-:%$§£££                                          £££§$%:-,¨
¨^~=*=§^#@                                          @#^§=*=~^¨
.:«\$¤###@                                          @###¤$\«:.
,-~;§£@@££                                          ££@@£§;~-,
,.~*§£#@##                 statuette                ##@#£§*~.,
,^~*§¤£@##                                          ##@£¤§*~^,
,-«^§*£### §$@&£@@£&&¤@££*$==~~~»=»£$@$%$%$$$§£££@% ###£*§^«-,
,¨.,¨»=\%£                *%@$£$$§£                 £%\=»¨,.¨,
,,»†*&£@##                                          ##@£&*†»,,
¨..,.-=/%@ 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 @¶$&\-~:,¨
¨.,.**%¤#@ particle  board  for  it to dry on,  but @#¤%**.,.¨
,,.,¨^=\¤# she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to #¤\=^¨,.,,
.,,,~~»;%§              throw it away.              §%;»~~,,,.
,...,,;;%£                                          £%;;,,...,
.:^==/%#¤#                                          #¤#%/==^:.
,,»:*$&@##                                          ##@&$*:»,,
.-«†=$&###                                          ###&$=†«-.
.,«/*@@#@#                                          #@#@@*/«,.
.¨¨»=;$$#£                                          £#$$;=»¨¨.