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