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