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