¨.,,¨-:$$&                                          &$$:-¨,,.¨
.¨¨¨.¨~/%@                                          @%/~¨.¨¨¨.
¨,,¨.¨.~*†                                          †*~.¨.¨,,¨
,¨.,¨,¨,=†                                          †=,¨,¨,.¨,
¨¨..¨,¨«/%                                          %/«¨,¨..¨¨
¨.¨,,¨»^^@                 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 ###¤$/»¨.¨
,,=*%£@£## on   her  stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ##£@£%*=,,
.-^%£&#@##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##@#&£%^-.
¨,»\=¤§### freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ###§¤=\»,¨
.,¨~:§%&##                                          ##&%§:~¨,.
¨,¨,«^§*@# my mom is  here now. i ask her for  some #@*§^«,¨,¨
.,¨,,~/=££ particle board  for it to  dry  on,  but ££=/~,,¨,.
...¨¨¨~/*& she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to &*/~¨¨¨...
,.¨¨.¨,~†*              throw it away.              *†~,¨.¨¨.,
¨¨.,,,,¨~*                                          *~¨,,,,.¨¨
,...,,¨~/*                                          */~¨,,...,
,.¨.,,»*=$                                          $=*»,,.¨.,
,,,..«††£#                                          #£††«..,,,
,¨.,»^^&£#                                          #£&^^»,.¨,
,..=\*£§¶#                                          #¶§£*\=..,