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