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