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