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