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