¨¨,»\†@£¶#                                          #¶£@†\»,¨¨
.¨,^~†%*§#                                          #§*%†~^,¨.
,.,«†*%¤@#                                          #@¤%*†«,.,
,~-/*&&¶##                                          ##¶&&*/-~,
¨¨-=^§%&##                                          ##&%§^=-¨¨
.¨,,~/^$@#                 statuette                #@$^/~,,¨.
,..=;=%¤##                                          ##¤%=;=..,
¨.===&&@## %£%$*§%@$££%&&&£~~«=~=-~$$&§&&$£§£%$$¤@£ ##@&&===.¨
¨¨~~/%%#£#                ¤$$¤%$£%*                 #£#%%/~~¨¨
¨¨,.-=§%@#                                          #@%§=-.,¨¨
,,,-\=*&@# forests around my childhood home.  thick #@&*=\-,,,
.-~*%%¤¶## pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ##¶¤%%*~-.
.¨:-:%§&£#      forgotten. wild boars roaming       #£&§%:-:¨.
,¨¨,~/**§# underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it #§**/~,¨¨,
,¨:»^§$&¶# is  dark and moist,  the  canopy  having #¶&$§^»:¨,
,-~:*%#¶## already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ##¶#%*:~-,
..,~†=%§##                                          ##§%=†~,..
,,.-»:=*£@ there's  a river passing  by,  from east @£*=:»-.,,
.¨.«\$*&## to west,  getting broader and deeper and ##&*$\«.¨.
¨^=\*¤£### slower as it goes. equisetum  grow  just ###£¤*\=^¨
..-»=*§£## where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ##£§*=»-..
,¨.,»†%¤#@ through light,  horsemint  on the  rocky @#¤%†»,.¨,
,,:~:$$¤@#                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.              ##¤£*;=~,,
...~«†=£&@                                          @&£=†«~...
...«*†%§##                                          ##§%†*«...
,,~\§%#@##                                          ##@#%§\~,,
,,:=\*%@@#                                          #@@%*\=:,,
..¨,-=*$¤@                                          @¤$*=-,¨..
.¨:»=*%@@#                                          #@@%*=»:¨.