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