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