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