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