,.,,.--;%&                                          &%;--.,,.,
.¨,¨.¨^=*§                                          §*=^¨.¨,¨.
..¨.,,¨:-^                                          ^-:¨,,.¨..
,¨.¨.¨¨,^~                                          ~^,¨¨.¨.¨,
...,,¨,¨¨-                                          -¨¨,¨,,...
¨¨¨,¨,,..,                 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.              £=*-:¨¨¨..
...,.¨.-*=                                          =*-.¨.,...
..,...,,«=                                          =«,,...,..
¨,¨..,,.:»                                          »:.,,..¨,¨
¨.¨,¨¨.,.^                                          ^.,.¨¨,¨.¨
¨¨,¨¨,,,..                                          ..,,,¨¨,¨¨
.¨....,.,,                                          ,,.,....¨.