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