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