...-\$$@##                                          ##@$$\-...
¨~«^*%####                                          ####%*^«~¨
¨,,~\§¤###                                          ###¤§\~,,¨
.,,^~\*£@#                                          #@£*\~^,,.
¨.,.:=/§¤@                                          @¤§/=:.,.¨
....¨,~*^¤                statuette                 ¤^*~,¨....
,,,¨¨,.=\$                                          $\=.,¨¨,,,
,¨¨¨¨.»:*% $§£¤¤$@£@$%&$$$¤-»-»=««~&$¤*@£$%&$$$$&§* %*:».¨¨¨¨,
.,.,,~=^%@                *$%$%$&£§                 @%^=~,,.,.
¨,,.-^%@@#                                          #@@%^-.,,¨
.¨,«*†$### forests around my  childhood home. thick ###$†*«,¨.
.:»\%&#### pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ####&%\»:.
¨¨,«/^£@##      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ##@£^/«,¨¨
,¨.:~;†@@# underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it #@@†;~:.¨,
.¨,.,~:§%# is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having #%§:~,.,¨.
.,.,.^~:%& already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. &%:~^.,.,.
.,¨,¨¨,«:$                                          $:«,¨¨,¨,.
¨,¨¨,~-†$£ there's  a  river  passing by, from east £$†-~,¨¨,¨
..¨¨~~^*£@ to  west, getting broader and deeper and @£*^~~¨¨..
.¨.~~\%£@@ slower  as  it goes. equisetum grow just @@£%\~~.¨.
,,,=†^%@## where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let ##@%^†=,,,
,~-:†$£@## through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ##@£$†:-~,
,¨^-:$$###                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.              #@@$†:~,,¨
..¨.==%&¶#                                          #¶&%==.¨..
,,¨¨,«:*$¶                                          ¶$*:«,¨¨,,
,.,¨¨:=:†@                                          @†:=:¨¨,.,
.¨,¨,..===                                          ===..,¨,¨.
,,.¨¨,«†§£                                          £§†«,¨¨.,,
,¨,¨~«;$¤#                                          #¤$;«~¨,¨,