¨¨.,=/=£&@                                          @&£=/=,.¨¨
,¨-»;$%@##                                          ##@%$;»-¨,
¨:~†*@&£@#                                          #@£&@*†~:¨
.,,~\=£§¶#                                          #¶§£=\~,,.
¨,¨,-:%£§#                                          #§£%:-,¨,¨
.,,,,~†§@§                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 ¶#$%:»-,.¨
.¨,¨^»=*@# on   her  stomach,   feet  in  the  air, #@*=»^¨,¨.
¨..^-=%£¤£   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   £¤£%=-^..¨
,.:~\*£### freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ###£*\~:.,
..«†^§@£##                                          ##£@§^†«..
¨.:«^%¤@@@ my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some @@@¤%^«:.¨
¨.,~~†*§## particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but ##§*†~~,.¨
,.¨¨-~\^§& she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to &§^\~-¨¨.,
,,¨,»†=*##              throw it away.              ##*=†»,¨,,
,¨.=\*£@#@                                          @#@£*\=.¨,
.^«:*£¤@##                                          ##@¤£*:«^.
,,:~=%@#¶#                                          #¶#@%=~:,,
..,-~;§$#£                                          £#$§;~-,..
..¨.~=/^£#                                          #£^/=~.¨..
,.¨,-†*%&@                                          @&%*†-,¨.,