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