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