¨,,,-=:$@#                                          #@$:=-,,,¨
,.,.¨,~:§*                                          *§:~,¨.,.,
.¨.¨:-^%*§                                          §*%^-:¨.¨.
,.,~~\§*¤@                                          @¤*§\~~,.,
,,--;*$£@#                                          #@£$*;--,,
,--=%%@@##                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 ##¶£$*\«..
.¨^»\%%@#@ particle board  for  it  to dry on,  but @#@%%\»^¨.
,.,.==*¤## she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ##¤*==.,.,
..,¨,-/%¤§              throw it away.              §¤%/-,¨,..
,¨,¨¨,~**¤                                          ¤**~,¨¨,¨,
¨,.¨~«\%%#                                          #%%\«~¨.,¨
,,¨^«/%@¤£                                          £¤@%/«^¨,,
,.,«:†$@£@                                          @£@$†:«,.,
.^~;%§¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤§%;~^.
..:«\§%§¶#                                          #¶§%§\«:..