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