.-»†%@#@##                                          ##@#@%†»-.
,-~†=£&#@#                                          #@#&£=†~-,
,,=^%&¶@##                                          ##@¶&%^=,,
.~~^^£&###                                          ###&£^^~~.
,:-:$%#@@#                                          #@@#%$:-:,
¨,=/†£§£##                 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. #@#£&$†~,,
.,¨,.^\=£#                                          #£=\^.,¨,.
,,...,\\££ my mom is here now. i  ask her for  some ££\\,...,,
.~~\*§&¶@# particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but #@¶&§*\~~.
.,«†=&£### she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ###£&=†«,.
,,=\*£§£##              throw it away.              ##£§£*\=,,
,:~/^£&@@£                                          £@@&£^/~:,
.¨¨¨¨=*£¶¶                                          ¶¶£*=¨¨¨¨.
,,,.:«:£&@                                          @&£:«:.,,,
,,»*§§&£##                                          ##£&§§*»,,
..~/†§†$@#                                          #@$†§†/~..
..»:*&¤@@#                                          #@@¤&*:»..