¨,«=$§@@##                                          ##@@§$=«,¨
¨,~~:%§@¶#                                          #¶@§%:~~,¨
,,¨,»:%$&@                                          @&$%:»,¨,,
,.¨.,~=*@§                                          §@*=~,.¨.,
,.,¨,.«:†@                                          @†:«.,¨,.,
¨.,.¨,:=†=                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.              :¨¨.¨¨,.¨,
¨¨.¨,,,¨^~                                          ~^¨,,,¨.¨¨
¨¨¨¨,,¨~~^                                          ^~~¨,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨.,...»;†                                          †;»...,.¨¨
...¨,.»:§£                                          £§:».,¨...
,,.¨,~=$$§                                          §$$=~,¨.,,
¨..^-\$£&#                                          #&£$\-^..¨