,.¨~-=†%§#                                          #§%†=-~¨.,
,.»/%£@###                                          ###@£%/».,
,,==%&&#@#                                          #@#&&%==,,
¨,~:^£@@@#                                          #@@@£^:~,¨
¨-~:§@@###                                          ###@@§:~-¨
¨,-^*&¤£##                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.              #@£*==~.¨,
¨-»;§§££##                                          ##££§§;»-¨
¨,~-†=$§#@                                          @#§$=†-~,¨
,-=\$*§@##                                          ##@§*$\=-,
.~~*%*¤@@@                                          @@@¤*%*~~.
.¨¨¨.,;§@#                                          #@§;,.¨¨¨.
,--=*§£¤££                                          ££¤£§*=--,