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