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