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