¨,.-†*%¶@#                                          #@¶%*†-.,¨
.:«;=£####                                          ####£=;«:.
¨,.-*%$¶##                                          ##¶$%*-.,¨
.,,^~**£@#                                          #@£**~^,,.
..--;*§@@#                                          #@@§*;--..
,~»†$£#@##                 statuette                ##@#£$†»~,
¨,^~\§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§\~^,¨
,,.~»^*£## %&%%@£%$$*%%¤@$£-=»-~~=»*@%@$§£$$*£$&*&$ ##£*^»~.,,
..-»*†$@##                 £*§$%§£%*                ##@$†*»-..
¨~~/†£#@##                                          ##@#£†/~~¨
,.:=\^%#@# forests around my childhood  home. thick #@#%^\=:.,
,,,,=*†$#@ 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.              ##@&=^=^.,
.^=/^$#@##                                          ##@#$^/=^.
.¨--^^¤@@#                                          #@@¤^^--¨.
¨¨.^«=$§@#                                          #@§$=«^.¨¨
..-=/^§¶##                                          ##¶§^/=-..
.~-\=§####                                          ####§=\-~.
¨.^-=^%¶@#                                          #@¶%^=-^.¨