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