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