.¨.¨^-†%£¤                                          ¤£%†-^¨.¨.
,¨¨..-~\%&                                          &%\~-..¨¨,
¨¨,.,¨.=^§                                          §^=.¨,.,¨¨
¨,.,¨,¨:»^                                          ^»:¨,¨,.,¨
..¨.¨¨,..-                                          -..,¨¨.¨..
.¨,...¨..:                 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, £$*«:¨¨.¨,
,,.,.,^»^%   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   %^»^,.,.,,
..,,,,¨~-^ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ^-~¨,,,,..
..¨..¨¨,^-                                          -^,¨¨..¨..
,.,.,¨¨.,~ my mom is here  now. i ask her  for some ~,.¨¨,.,.,
¨.,¨.,¨¨~- particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but -~¨¨,.¨,.¨
,¨¨¨,¨.~»\ she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to \»~.¨,¨¨¨,
..,,.¨--\*              throw it away.              *\--¨.,,..
¨¨¨.¨,~;*£                                          £*;~,¨.¨¨¨
.,,,^~†%%£                                          £%%†~^,,,.
¨,.^=:$£@£                                          £@£$:=^.,¨
,,:»/$§¤@@                                          @@¤§$/»:,,
,--/^£@###                                          ###@£^/--,
,,.==*£@##                                          ##@£*==.,,