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