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