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