¨¨,.»;%$@@                                          @@$%;».,¨¨
,,.¨~»†^$@                                          @$^†»~¨.,,
¨,,..,»=*&                                          &*=»,..,,¨
,¨¨¨,.,~\§                                          §\~,.,¨¨¨,
.¨.¨,~-=*%                                          %*=-~,¨.¨.
¨¨.,,~^†$@                statuette                 @$†^~,,.¨¨
,¨¨,»=*§¶#                                          #¶§*=»,¨¨,
¨.-»\§¤@## @£££%@$££$*&&£%%~~==-=-»@$$£££%&%*£%%$$@ ##@¤§\»-.¨
¨,«^§¤¶###                 $&$£$%&£&                ###¶¤§^«,¨
,.^=/^§@##                                          ##@§^/=^.,
¨¨,~~/^&¶# forests around my  childhood home. thick #¶&^/~~,¨¨
.¨..,~†*$£ 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.              **=~:,¨.,¨
....,¨,~;=                                          =;~,¨,....
¨..¨,^»=§*                                          *§=»^,¨..¨
,..¨-==§%£                                          £%§==-¨..,
,,¨:~*$$¶#                                          #¶$$*~:¨,,
.¨^»^%£#@#                                          #@#£%^»^¨.
,^»/%$¶###                                          ###¶$%/»^,