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