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