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