¨,¨.¨^»^=$                                          $=^»^¨.¨,¨
,¨¨,:~\%%¤                                          ¤%%\~:,¨¨,
,,¨,=†§$&#                                          #&$§†=,¨,,
.¨,~^^$¤#@                                          @#¤$^^~,¨.
¨:~^=$@@##                                          ##@@$=^~:¨
..^»:†$@£@                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 $/~:¨¨,,,.
.,¨¨.-«^%¤ particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but ¤%^«-.¨¨,.
¨,,¨,»==£& she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to &£==»,¨,,¨
.¨.-~\§¤#@              throw it away.              @#¤§\~-.¨.
¨,:«/%§§@#                                          #@§§%/«:,¨
.:»==$&@@#                                          #@@&$==»:.
¨.~«/%@£##                                          ##£@%/«~.¨
¨¨,^~\†£¤#                                          #¤£†\~^,¨¨
,.,,--;§@£                                          £@§;--,,.,
,¨¨,.,~:§£                                          £§:~,.,¨¨,