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