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