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