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