¨.¨,¨,:§&§                                          §&§:,¨,¨.¨
..,¨,.:*†*                                          *†*:.,¨,..
,¨.,¨...:%                                          %:...¨,.¨,
¨¨,,.,.,~†                                          †~,.,.,,¨¨
,.,,¨,.^:%                                          %:^.,¨,,.,
.¨,..¨,=%*                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.              %\.¨,¨¨...
.,,,¨¨..:;                                          ;:..¨¨,,,.
.¨.¨¨..~†*                                          *†~..¨¨.¨.
¨.,,¨,.*$$                                          $$*.,¨,,.¨
.,,,,^^*%¤                                          ¤%*^^,,,,.
,¨..~\%%@@                                          @@%%\~..¨,
,.¨,=%£###                                          ###£%=,¨.,