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