.,»^%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%^»,.
.~~;%£§###                                          ###§£%;~~.
..==*&&£@#                                          #@£&&*==..
¨~=/§¤#@##                                          ##@#¤§/=~¨
.,,,:,\££¶                                          ¶££\,:,,,.
,¨¨¨¨¨-*&§                 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 #@#£§$\«,¨
¨,=\*%@£@# on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, #@£@%*\=,¨
¨,¨.:~:@¤#   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   #¤@:~:.¨,¨
.,«††§#£## freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ##£#§††«,.
,:,~«»%*@#                                          #@*%»«~,:,
.~«^†£&£## my  mom is here now. i  ask her for some ##£&£†^«~.
,¨,,~-:&&@ particle  board for it  to  dry on,  but @&&:-~,,¨,
.¨.:~†%#¶@ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to @¶#%†~:.¨.
.,,..¨~†@£              throw it away.              £@†~¨..,,.
,,=:=@£#@#                                          #@#£@=:=,,
.:-^&£@@##                                          ##@@£&^-:.
,¨.,\\=¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤=\\,.¨,
,:=;*$§#@#                                          #@#§$*;=:,
¨:~:%£#£##                                          ##£#£%:~:¨
.,~\*§#¶##                                          ##¶#§*\~,.