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