¨~-;$&§###                                          ###§&$;-~¨
.,~==*§@##                                          ##@§*==~,.
¨:«†$%#@@#                                          #@@#%$†«:¨
¨.¨~-,»=£¤                                          ¤£=»,-~¨.¨
,,«=%&¶###                                          ###¶&%=«,,
.¨.=~%§%§#                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 #@##$$:«,¨
.¨,,¨¨-/£# direction of  sound  rather  than at  my #£/-¨¨,,¨.
.:~--†%@%@ hands,  who are busy  putting  things in @%@%†--~:.
,--/%%@£##               my pockets.                ##£@%%/--,
,:-=§§@###                                          ###@§§=-:,
,:~=*#@### then   i  run   east   toward  my  home. ###@#*=~:,
¨,~=%§££##                                          ##££§%=~,¨
,,=†*%&###                     /                    ###&%*†=,,
.,«†%§£###                                          ###£§%†«,.
.¨-«~/\^$& i am not followed, and  slow down in the &$^\/~«-¨.
.-««-=†$¤@ clearing  where  you  at first  can spot @¤$†=-««-.
,.«\=$@¤¤# the   house,   not  yet  really  in  the #¤¤@$=\«.,
.¨¨.,-:$§# backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my #§$:-,.¨¨.
,,«\†*@### radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small ###@*†\«,,
¨:»:§£¤#§£ clay figure i've  never seen before.  it £§#¤£§:»:¨
.,=%%@¶### must have been laying in  the  wet dirt, ###¶@%%=,.
¨^«††$£#£# and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my #£#£$††«^¨
¨:~;§¤£@##             other belongings.            ##@£¤§;~:¨
,~«~«:=¤*¤                                          ¤*¤=:«~«~,
¨,¨,.,./§¤ it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ¤§/.,.,¨,¨
,,¨.~=/$%@ on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, @%$/=~.¨,,
,~«^%$&@##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##@&$%^«~,
,:-;$¤¤@## freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ##@¤¤$;-:,
,^-†*$####                                          ####$*†-^,
.,=*$%§#@# my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some #@#§%$*=,.
,^-^$£&@## particle  board for it  to  dry on,  but ##@&£$^-^,
,-~;*%&£@# she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to #@£&%*;~-,
¨.,«††^*£#              throw it away.              #£*^††«,.¨
..¨,.;*$$@                                          @$$*;.,¨..
,^-†§*&¶@#                                          #@¶&*§†-^,
¨,»:%@¶###                                          ###¶@%:»,¨
,~»;%%§£§#                                          #§£§%%;»~,
,:~*§£&@@#                                          #@@&£§*~:,
¨¨¨-»*£%%£                                          £%%£*»-¨¨¨