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