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