.,-:*%####                                          ####%*:-,.
¨,.¨¨¨,~^§                                          §^~,¨¨¨.,¨
,,-=*&@@@#                                          #@@@&*=-,,
,,»†%@£###                                          ###£@%†»,,
¨,«^%££###                                          ###££%^«,¨
¨,~;*£#£@#                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   &@$*%%*»~¨
.~-/§£&### freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ###&£§/-~.
.^«=†¤@@##                                          ##@@¤†=«^.
¨-=^%¤¤### my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some ###¤¤%^=-¨
..=\%§¤¶## particle board  for  it  to  dry on, but ##¶¤§%\=..
,~=†^*§§¶£ she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to £¶§§*^†=~,
,,~\†¤&@#@              throw it away.              @#@&¤†\~,,
¨^-\*¤####                                          ####¤*\-^¨
,:~/*%@###                                          ###@%*/~:,
¨¨¨=~:^@$@                                          @$@^:~=¨¨¨
¨..,^~=††#                                          #††=~^,..¨
.--/*¤@##@                                          @##@¤*/--.
.,~=*§*%¶£                                          £¶%*§*=~,.