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