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