¨.=^=¤¶###                                          ###¶¤=^=.¨
.,«/*§&@##                                          ##@&§*/«,.
,.,^./†*£¶                                          ¶£*†/.^,.,
.:«/%¤&###                                          ###&¤%/«:.
,.~\§$&¶##                                          ##¶&$§\~.,
.,~:$&¤@##                 statuette                ##@¤&$:~,.
¨~«*§&@#@#                                          #@#@&§*«~¨
.=*^$¤@### $%¤@§%%&£§¤%¤@*¤«~~=~~~~¤$£&*%§¤%%*£%$%% ###@¤$^*=.
,:«*%#@###                 ¤%*£¤%%&@                ###@#%*«:,
¨,,^†;%%&#                                          #&%%;†^,,¨
.,»=%$&### forests around my childhood home.  thick ###&$%=»,.
.,~=§£&### 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.              @§§*==.,¨,
,¨¨,¨-~=¤#                                          #¤=~-¨,¨¨,
,,¨.~†^§§@                                          @§§^†~.¨,,
.--:*£#@#£                                          £#@#£*:--.
,,.,==/@@@                                          @@@/==,.,,
,,»**£@###                                          ###@£**»,,
..,¨:=^%##                                          ##%^=:¨,..