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