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