.¨^»:§%@##                                          ##@%§:»^¨.
.¨¨^-;^§##                                          ##§^;-^¨¨.
..,,:~\^§#                                          #§^\~:,,..
..,,¨:»†$£                                          £$†»:¨,,..
.¨¨¨,,-==^                                          ^==-,,¨¨¨.
,.,¨..¨^«*                 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.            ##@$*^«^¨.
,.~==&@@##                                          ##@@&==~.,
,¨^-;%§@## it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ##@§%;-^¨,
.¨¨~=;%£@@ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, @@£%;=~¨¨.
¨¨..-»\*%#   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   #%*\»-..¨¨
,,¨,,,-=*¤ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¤*=-,,,¨,,
¨,.,.,^~*§                                          §*~^,.,.,¨
.,¨,¨,¨.-\ my mom is  here now. i ask  her for some \-.¨,¨,¨,.
,.¨,...,.= particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but =.,...,¨.,
..¨.¨¨¨¨.~ she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ~.¨¨¨¨.¨..
,..,¨¨.¨,~              throw it away.              ~,¨.¨¨,..,
,..,,,¨.«;                                          ;«.¨,,,..,
.,,.,.~~/=                                          =/~~.,.,,.
..¨¨¨,»^*$                                          $*^»,¨¨¨..
¨¨¨¨-»*^*#                                          #*^*»-¨¨¨¨
.¨,~=*%§#@                                          @#§%*=~,¨.
..^«^^§¶@#                                          #@¶§^^«^..