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