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