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