,,«*†%§@##                                          ##@§%†*«,,
¨,~\*§#£@#                                          #@£#§*\~,¨
.~=/%*%£$#                                          #$£%*%/=~.
,^»†$$%¤##                                          ##¤%$$†»^,
¨,.¨¨==$§@                                          @§$==¨¨.,¨
,.¨:.-»$££                statuette                 ££$»-.:¨.,
.:=/†&§#@#                                          #@#§&†/=:.
,,=;§¤£### ¤$¤%%£%*§§@$§@%$~~-»-~~-£%@&$@%&$$%%§%$$ ###£¤§;=,,
..¨~\^@£¶@                 &££*&£$&%                @¶£@^\~¨..
,:~^%@§###                                          ###§@%^~:,
,--**&@#£# forests around my childhood  home. thick #£#@&**--,
,..,†%%*@@ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and @@*%%†,..,
,,~/%*^§=#      forgotten. wild boars roaming       #=§^*%/~,,
,,~*%*@@## underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ##@@*%*~,,
¨,»\*&#### is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having ####&*\»,¨
,^»\^$#¶## 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.              §@†^-¨.,.,
.:«\%$&£@#                                          #@£&$%\«:.
¨,~*§£##@#                                          #@##£§*~,¨
¨-~:*@@@##                                          ##@@@*:~-¨
.:«;%%&@##                                          ##@&%%;«:.
.-~=-§@§§£                                          £§§@§-=~-.
¨~~;†¤#@##                                          ##@#¤†;~~¨