¨,,~»†=%#@                                          @#%=†»~,,¨
¨:~†%¤¤££@                                          @££¤¤%†~:¨
..-=§¤£###                                          ###£¤§=-..
.,,==%^*##                                          ##*^%==,,.
,.,.,:^*%@                                          @%*^:,.,.,
¨¨¨,^~§#¶#                 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 ###@£$\~:¨
,,¨¨^\=*^@ particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but @^*=\^¨¨,,
.:~=**§### she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ###§**=~:.
,,=«\^\$£#              throw it away.              #£$\^\«=,,
¨~«:^&&¶##                                          ##¶&&^:«~¨
.,~/*&#¶@#                                          #@¶#&*/~,.
¨¨.:;*^;§¤                                          ¤§;^*;:.¨¨
,~»†$%£@##                                          ##@£%$†»~,
..=†§&@¶@#                                          #@¶@&§†=..
.-«*$&@@@#                                          #@@@&$*«-.