.,.¨,»^%@¤                                          ¤@%^»,¨.,.
¨¨,~~*%@#@                                          @#@%*~~,¨¨
,.~-*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*-~.,
,:-=%%&¶##                                          ##¶&%%=-:,
,.-=/%@@@#                                          #@@@%/=-.,
¨¨¨~=\^$#@                statuette                 @#$^\=~¨¨¨
¨..¨-~=§@&                                          &@§=~-¨..¨
..,¨,~~/%$ @£¤%¤&££££%&$&£*~=~«-«»»$%@£%$@££$¤%£££@ $%/~~,¨,..
.¨.,,~=$&@                 £££%£&$££                @&$=~,,.¨.
..,.=†%$¤@                                          @¤$%†=.,..
,.^~†$@&@# forests  around my childhood home. thick #@&@$†~^.,
.~=/*&&@## 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.              §£^^=,.¨¨¨
.¨,-»\*§&@                                          @&§*\»-,¨.
.,:-/%§&##                                          ##&§%/-:,.
,^-*%¤@@##                                          ##@@¤%*-^,
,¨,~/*§@@#                                          #@@§*/~,¨,
,,¨-==*£&@                                          @&£*==-¨,,
.¨¨¨:~=^%£                                          £%^=~:¨¨¨.