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