¨,~†^¤§@##                                          ##@§¤^†~,¨
,,~\^&@###                                          ###@&^\~,,
¨,.¨¨~*%@@                                          @@%*~¨¨.,¨
,.,,:*^†£&                                          &£†^*:,,.,
.^~:=§¤££#                                          #££¤§=:~^.
,¨.:-=;%£@                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 §#†:~~,,.¨
,~~=†$@@@# she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to #@@@$†=~~,
.:~*%$&#@#              throw it away.              #@#&$%*~:.
.,«†§£####                                          ####£§†«,.
,,^»«/\*$#                                          #$*\/«»^,,
..¨.«/%£@@                                          @@£%/«.¨..
¨-=*§£#¶##                                          ##¶#£§*=-¨
,.¨,.,^@£#                                          #£@^,.,¨.,
¨¨..¨.~%§@                                          @§%~.¨..¨¨