¨,.,-^$&¤#                                          #¤&$^-,.,¨
.,,,,~\†$£                                          £$†\~,,,,.
.¨¨,«†$§§@                                          @§§$†«,¨¨.
¨¨:=†%%§##                                          ##§%%†=:¨¨
¨.~/†@§###                                          ###§@†/~.¨
¨,--*$£@##                statuette                 ##@£$*--,¨
..¨,»:$§¤#                                          #¤§$:»,¨..
.,¨.,»†=&£ £%£$*%£&$¤$$%%*&~~»~~»-=$¤£$£*@%£§%@$£¤¤ £&=†»,.¨,.
,¨¨,»*%¤@#                ££@¤@&$¤$                 #@¤%*»,¨¨,
,.^«\§*§##                                          ##§*§\«^.,
¨^-;†%@@## forests  around my childhood home. thick ##@@%†;-^¨
,.:~*^£@@# pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and #@@£^*~:.,
,..--\=$@#       forgotten. wild boars roaming      #@$=\--..,
.¨..^«/%£@ underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it @£%/«^..¨.
.,¨~~^†*&# is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having #&*†^~~¨,.
.,.~\^§### already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ###§^\~.,.
,^~\=%£###                                          ###£%=\~^,
¨,,~*%*#@# there's  a  river  passing by, from east #@#*%*~,,¨
¨¨.~~:%$£# to west, getting broader and  deeper and #£$%:~~.¨¨
,¨..:~;$%# slower as  it goes. equisetum grow  just #%$;~:..¨,
,¨¨,»;*&@# where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let #@&*;»,¨¨,
,¨~«^%%¤## through  light,  horsemint  on the rocky ##¤%%^«~¨,
,,~\†*&@##                river bed.                ##@&*†\~,,
,.~-†$$¤##                                          ##¤$$†-~.,
,,¨^-*%§&#                    *                     #&§%*-^¨,,
.,¨.~«/%%£                                          £%%/«~.¨,.
¨¨.-=\†$&# the  riverbanks  reek of magic.  tonight #&$†\=-.¨¨
,,^-†*¤#@# 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.              #£$*†»-¨¨,
.¨,¨,=^$§@                                          @§$^=,¨,¨.
..¨^«^*@&#                                          #&@*^«^¨..
¨¨:~^§*#@#                                          #@#*§^~:¨¨
¨,«:†££@##                                          ##@££†:«,¨
.,,«;^%@@#                                          #@@%^;«,,.
....«=*§@#                                          #@§*=«....