,¨,,^»\%&&                                          &&%\»^,,¨,
¨..¨¨~~;^§                                          §^;~~¨¨..¨
,,.¨:=/^%#                                          #%^/=:¨.,,
¨¨¨:~;%§§@                                          @§§%;~:¨¨¨
¨,:~;§$¤@#                                          #@¤$§;~:,¨
.^-;*$&£##                 statuette                ##£&$*;-^.
,.^~^*§£¶#                                          #¶£§*^~^.,
¨¨.,«^%%&@ $**%&¤&$*§%§£*$§»~-»~»-»%@&&££$$§$*£@$££ @&%%^«,.¨¨
,..¨.=\§&#                 &¤@&&$§££                #&§\=.¨..,
¨,.,¨,=\†¤                                          ¤†\=,¨,.,¨
,..¨~-*%$@ forests  around my childhood home. thick @$%*-~¨..,
¨¨.,~**£@@ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and @@£**~,.¨¨
.¨,»/§%&@#      forgotten. wild boars roaming       #@&%§/»,¨.
..-^=@§£## underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ##£§@=^-..
..~~:=%@£# is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having #£@%=:~~..
,.,-=;$$## 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 @§%%;=,.,,
,,,¨.»†$*£              throw it away.              £*$†».¨,,,
¨...,-«*§§                                          §§*«-,...¨
¨,..^~^§%#                                          #%§^~^..,¨
¨,,~-*†&§¶                                          ¶§&†*-~,,¨
..,~*=¤¤##                                          ##¤¤=*~,..
,,=*^§@@##                                          ##@@§^*=,,
.,:=^^&@@#                                          #@@&^^=:,.