,¨,^./&%¶#                                          #¶%&/.^,¨,
.¨¨.,;†^=£                                          £=^†;,.¨¨.
,^~\†%&###                                          ###&%†\~^,
,.=†/$†&@@                                          @@&†$/†=.,
¨~~/%%&¶##                                          ##¶&%%/~~¨
.-~*%*¶###                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. @@$†«.¨.¨,
,¨,,~*$$¶@                                          @¶$$*~,,¨,
.:==^£@¶@@ my  mom is  here now. i ask her for some @@¶@£^==:.
¨....-$@¤# particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but #¤@$-....¨
¨,¨,,«:£#@ she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to @#£:«,,¨,¨
.,^~--*^&#              throw it away.              #&^*--~^,.
.~=†%*@§##                                          ##§@*%†=~.
,.¨.^;$$£@                                          @£$$;^.¨.,
,,.¨,,†\†@                                          @†\†,,¨.,,
¨,,,,,~*£#                                          #£*~,,,,,¨
¨,,..-;^¤¶                                          ¶¤^;-..,,¨
,.-\^£@@##                                          ##@@£^\-.,