¨..,-»;*@#                                          #@*;»-,..¨
,..¨.^«*%¤                                          ¤%*«^.¨..,
.¨.,,=;=$&                                          &$=;=,,.¨.
¨.¨:~=^%#@                                          @#%^=~:¨.¨
¨¨.~\*£#@#                                          #@#£*\~.¨¨
¨^-†$*§@##                statuette                 ##@§*$†-^¨
¨¨:»=§%¤@@                                          @@¤%§=»:¨¨
..¨:«^§£@# &*&$¤$$$%$££&£§%»«~«~»=~&@%£%¤%@%@¤%££§¤ #@£§^«:¨..
.¨¨¨:«/%£#                 *¤£§@§¤%£                #£%/«:¨¨¨.
¨,.¨.~«;$@                                          @$;«~.¨.,¨
,,.¨^==†@& forests around my childhood  home. thick &@†==^¨.,,
,,¨~«==§&¶ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¶&§==«~¨,,
.,,»^%&@@@       forgotten. wild boars roaming      @@@&%^»,,.
¨-«:§*¤@## underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ##@¤*§:«-¨
¨.,~;%@@#@ is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having @#@@%;~,.¨
¨,.-~:%%&¶ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¶&%%:~-.,¨
,¨,¨,-=%$£                                          £$%=-,¨,¨,
¨.¨.,,«^%$ there's a  river passing  by, from  east $%^«,,.¨.¨
....,=**&@ to west, getting broader and  deeper and @&**=,....
,,.,«^*£&£ slower as it goes.  equisetum grow  just £&£*^«,.,,
.¨,~/†££@# where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let #@££†/~,¨.
,:~\**#£## through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ##£#**\~:,
,,^~^†@@##                river bed.                ##@@†^~^,,
,.¨.~*†%&@                                          @&%†*~.¨.,
,,.,,«\§$§                     ;                    §$§\«,,.,,
.,¨¨¨^-:*@                                          @*:-^¨¨¨,.
¨.,¨-=\*$# the  riverbanks reek  of  magic. tonight #$*\=-¨,.¨
,,,,«:%&££ they had  been  a swampworld with sylvan ££&%:«,,,,
¨.~»\§§£@# water,  stone  rings and  floating moss. #@£§§\»~.¨
..~/$*&£## you could've found  me wallowing  around ##£&*$/~..
,¨.=;*§§@# on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got #@§§*;=.¨,
¨.¨.~/%*£@                  bitten.                 @£*%/~.¨.¨
¨,.,-«†*$§                                          §$*†«-,.,¨
,.¨¨¨~-^^§ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid §^^-~¨¨¨.,
,¨¨,^«†*£§ ground, in shoulder-high grass,  with an §£*†«^,¨¨,
.¨¨.-;*$££ orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent ££$*;-.¨¨.
,,^«=^*£@#      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      #@£*^=«^,,
.:~;$$@@##                                          ##@@$$;~:.
,.:-\%£¤#@                     /                    @#¤£%\-:.,
,,¨~-:%£&@                                          @&£%:-~¨,,
,¨¨,~~/%%@ 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.              #£*†~~..,.
¨.¨¨¨~»†*$                                          $*†»~¨¨¨.¨
.¨,¨--/^&§                                          §&^/--¨,¨.
,,¨:~/*$¤¶                                          ¶¤$*/~:¨,,
.¨-«;$*@@#                                          #@@*$;«-¨.
¨^«\*£¤£##                                          ##£¤£*\«^¨
¨,.-:$%@##                                          ##@%$:-.,¨