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