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