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