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