.-~†%#####                                          #####%†~-.
.,¨.,.-:%@                                          @%:-.,.¨,.
¨-~:$$*%@#                                          #@%*$$:~-¨
.,»;†£&@##                                          ##@&£†;»,.
.,»;^%*£¤£                                          £¤£*%^;»,.
¨~~:*%$££#                 statuette                #££$%*:~~¨
,,-††££@##                                          ##@££††-,,
¨.,,,»%$¶# £$§$@$$$§@££@¤%§»»~=-~~~$$£££¤£%£§&$%%£% #¶$%»,,,.¨
.-~^%%@#@@                £*&%$£%&@                 @@#@%%^~-.
.¨.¨-.«†*#                                          #*†«.-¨.¨.
¨¨¨,,=†%#@ forests  around my childhood home. thick @#%†=,,¨¨¨
.,«*†§&£&¤ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¤&£&§†*«,.
.¨¨,-\†§@#       forgotten. wild boars roaming      #@§†\-,¨¨.
.~»;%¤£@## underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ##@£¤%;»~.
,:~*$&¤### 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   #£$//\\»..
,,»*=§£@@# freshly made,  not yet completely dried. #@@£§=*»,,
,-=*†$££##                                          ##££$†*=-,
¨.¨,.»=*@# my  mom is here now. i ask her for  some #@*=».,¨.¨
.,.~~~:†¤# particle  board for  it to  dry on,  but #¤†:~~~.,.
¨¨..,.,~=@ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to @=~,.,..¨¨
,:==§%¤@##              throw it away.              ##@¤%§==:,
,^=\^%£¶##                                          ##¶£%^\=^,
.,~*†%£¤@£                                          £@¤£%†*~,.
..«†^$&###                                          ###&$^†«..
.¨,¨¨~=%†&                                          &†%=~¨¨,¨.
¨.¨..«%*£@                                          @£*%«..¨.¨
...¨.,^§#§                                          §#§^,.¨...