,:=\*$&###                                          ###&$*\=:,
¨.¨-»/%§@#                                          #@§%/»-¨.¨
,:~*%@§@##                                          ##@§@%*~:,
¨:«*†¤@@##                                          ##@@¤†*«:¨
¨:=^%$£#@#                                          #@#£$%^=:¨
,:=:$%¤###                statuette                 ###¤%$:=:,
¨,-*^%#£&#                                          #&£#%^*-,¨
¨.=:*%*@## @£%$£%$@£$$@§@$¤«-«««~«-@@&£$£*¤%£@*$§$% ##@*%*:=.¨
,,¨.~=$¤#@                %@¤&£&£%$                 @#¤$=~.¨,,
,^~/%$¤###                                          ###¤$%/~^,
,.-^*%£@¶@ 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 #@£=*\~,,.
,,..=%$§£@ she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to @£§$%=..,,
,,-*$£¤@##              throw it away.              ##@¤£$*-,,
¨:»/=¤#£##                                          ##£#¤=/»:¨
¨,.,,.«^%§                                          §%^«.,,.,¨
,¨.~.*†£§§                                          §§£†*.~.¨,
¨,,,««;%¤#                                          #¤%;««,,,¨
¨,-†%%&###                                          ###&%%†-,¨
¨,~*=*¤@¶#                                          #¶@¤*=*~,¨