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