,¨,,.,»=§§                                          §§=»,.,,¨,
,¨,,,,:-/%                                          %/-:,,,,¨,
,.¨¨,,-=^*                                          *^=-,,¨¨.,
.,,¨:~^%$#                                          #$%^~:¨,,.
,..,~:§¤#@                                          @#¤§:~,..,
,,,~†§%@@#                 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 $*:«^¨,¨.¨
..¨¨,.~~*% she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to %*~~.,¨¨..
¨¨.,¨~~:§§              throw it away.              §§:~~¨,.¨¨
,,¨¨,~=^££                                          ££^=~,¨¨,,
,,.--†$*££                                          ££*$†--.,,
,..~*$£§##                                          ##§£$*~..,
,--/$%¤@##                                          ##@¤%$/--,
.,^»:=%§£@                                          @£§%=:»^,.
.,.:»=$££@                                          @££$=»:.,.