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