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