¨¨¨~«*^%&@                                          @&%^*«~¨¨¨
.¨,=^§%@¶#                                          #¶@%§^=,¨.
¨~~=^%#@##                                          ##@#%^=~~¨
,,.~^*%¤##                                          ##¤%*^~.,,
¨¨.^=\^§££                                          ££§^\=^.¨¨
¨..,:=;%*¤                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 &%$^-:.¨,,
.,¨.»\%§&@ particle board  for  it to dry  on,  but @&§%\».¨,.
¨,.«/†££@# she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to #@££†/«.,¨
,-==%£¤¶##              throw it away.              ##¶¤£%==-,
.¨,«^$@&@#                                          #@&@$^«,¨.
.,,,«^=¤§#                                          #§¤=^«,,,.
,..¨~~\*%#                                          #%*\~~¨..,
.¨.,¨:»;$%                                          %$;»:¨,.¨.
,...¨¨.»*=                                          =*».¨¨...,
..,¨,.,.=*                                          *=.,.,¨,..