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