¨,«:^$¤###                                          ###¤$^:«,¨
,¨~-/*&#¶@                                          @¶#&*/-~¨,
,,¨.«/§&§£                                          £§&§/«.¨,,
..,.:~;§£&                                          &£§;~:.,..
..,,.-=\%%                                          %%\=-.,,..
¨¨.,¨.~~\%                 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 #@£$%:-,¨,
,¨.~=/*@¤#              throw it away.              #¤@*/=~.¨,
...,--†§£¤                                          ¤£§†--,...
¨¨¨..:~:%$                                          $%:~:..¨¨¨
,¨,,..--^†                                          †^--..,,¨,
.¨¨.¨.,~~†                                          †~~,.¨.¨¨.
¨,..¨¨,,--                                          --,,¨¨..,¨
,¨¨.¨,,,-/                                          /-,,,¨.¨¨,