¨~~/†£#@##                                          ##@#£†/~~¨
.¨.»:^:*§¤                                          ¤§*:^:».¨.
.,..:»%*##                                          ##*%»:..,.
,^=*£¤@###                                          ###@¤£*=^,
.,¨¨...\§@                                          @§\...¨¨,.
,¨.¨,;$££@                statuette                 @££$;,¨.¨,
.~«\*§¶###                                          ###¶§*\«~.
..,.~»$%££ @$&%@%*%$%%%%%@§-=»»~~«~*§&§&££@$*§@%$@§ ££%$»~.,..
¨.¨.~~~†§¶                 &%$&$$&%£                ¶§†~~~.¨.¨
,,»\§&#@##                                          ##@#&§\»,,
.:=^*&¤@## 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 @#$$$*:=^¨
¨¨¨¨,~†;££ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ££;†~,¨¨¨¨
¨:-*†£§@£@ clay figure i've  never seen  before. it @£@§£†*-:¨
,:~=$¤&$¶# must have been laying  in the wet  dirt, #¶$&¤$=~:,
,,»=$%¤### and  i  must've  picked  it  up with  my ###¤%$=»,,
..«;%$££@¶             other belongings.            ¶@££$%;«..
,,,..,«\*#                                          #*\«,..,,,
¨,»/%¤¤### it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ###¤¤%/»,¨
,-«*§£#@## on   her  stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ##@#£§*«-,
¨.¨.-^†$@#   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   #@$†^-.¨.¨
.,,..~~»†§ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. §†»~~..,,.
¨¨¨,.-~:*£                                          £*:~-.,¨¨¨
..,:*\$&## my mom is here now. i ask  her  for some ##&$\*:,..
.~=\$$£### particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but ###£$$\=~.
.-«=†$@#¤@ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to @¤#@$†=«-.
,¨..:»/$*£              throw it away.              £*$/»:..¨,
,¨,¨,,,=^¤                                          ¤^=,,,¨,¨,
¨,»/$£&###                                          ###&£$/»,¨
.,~/†%¤###                                          ###¤%†/~,.
¨~~\^*£¤@#                                          #@¤£*^\~~¨
,-~†§§¤@##                                          ##@¤§§†~-,
¨^~/=%£###                                          ###£%=/~^¨