..¨,.-=\$$                                          $$\=-.,¨..
.¨.¨,«==&§                                          §&==«,¨.¨.
¨.¨:=/%¤##                                          ##¤%/=:¨.¨
¨¨,~*=%#¶#                                          #¶#%=*~,¨¨
¨,«††%#@##                                          ##@#%††«,¨
¨..=;^§§@#                statuette                 #@§§^;=..¨
,¨.-~;*@@#                                          #@@*;~-.¨,
,,.,^=:§£@ %@£$£§$$%¤*%*%&%~-====-=¤§£*&$%§*§%@%*$¤ @£§:=^,.,,
.,.,,.»†%$                 @%£$%@£££                $%†».,,.,.
.¨¨,¨.-~*%                                          %*~-.¨,¨¨.
¨¨.¨,,,~-\ forests around my childhood home.  thick \-~,,,¨.¨¨
.,,,,.¨,,~ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ~,,¨.,,,,.
,,..,¨.,.,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,.,.¨,..,,
¨¨.,.,,¨:« underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it «:¨,,.,.¨¨
¨,,,....~† is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having †~....,,,¨
¨,,,.¨,«/% already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. %/«,¨.,,,¨
¨¨¨¨,:«*=£                                          £=*«:,¨¨¨¨
.¨,¨,~;%$@ 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.              $*^~-¨¨¨¨.
,,.,,..»/%                                          %/»..,,.,,
.¨.,¨,,,=;                                          ;=,,,¨,.¨.
.¨¨,,.,¨:«                                          «:¨,.,,¨¨.
,,¨...¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨...¨,,
,..¨.,,¨~»                                          »~¨,,.¨..,
¨¨,¨...-»†                                          †»-...¨,¨¨