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