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