¨,,¨¨--=^@                                          @^=--¨¨,,¨
¨.,.,¨.-\§                                          §\-.¨,.,.¨
,,¨....^«†                                          †«^....¨,,
,,,,.,,.,«                                          «,.,,.,,,,
.¨.,.¨...,                                          ,...¨.,.¨.
,,.,¨,,.,¨                 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.              $§/~~,¨,,¨
¨.¨.¨.,~:§                                          §:~,.¨.¨.¨
.,.¨..,,«*                                          *«,,..¨.,.
¨,,¨,,..,~                                          ~,..,,¨,,¨
¨,.,,.¨,,~                                          ~,,¨.,,.,¨
.¨.,,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,,.¨.
..,..,,.,-                                          -,.,,..,..