¨.-~†*&###                                          ###&*†~-.¨
,¨¨,=:†££#                                          #££†:=,¨¨,
,¨.,-«^§&@                                          @&§^«-,.¨,
¨..,,,~†^£                                          £^†~,,,..¨
,.¨¨¨.--/*                                          */--.¨¨¨.,
.¨¨.,¨.-~;                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 ##§$$\=,,.
.:~/%*§### clearing  where  you at  first  can spot ###§*%/~:.
,,:=/†&¤## the  house,  not  yet  really   in   the ##¤&†/=:,,
,,.^=;*%§# backyard. from my  pockets i retrieve my #§%*;=^.,,
.,¨.~-\*%£ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small £%*\-~.¨,.
..,,,--*§% clay  figure i've  never seen before. it %§*--,,,..
,¨.,¨,,«:$ must  have  been laying in the wet dirt, $:«,,¨,.¨,
¨¨¨,...,~= and  i  must've  picked  it  up  with my =~,...,¨¨¨
.¨¨,.¨.,-~             other belongings.            ~-,.¨.,¨¨.
¨,.,.¨¨~»†                                          †»~¨¨.,.,¨
..,¨,.,~=^ it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked ^=~,.,¨,..
.¨,,,--/%$ on  her   stomach,  feet  in   the  air, $%/--,,,¨.
¨¨¨.~~;=&§   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   §&=;~~.¨¨¨
.¨.,=†%$§@ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. @§$%†=,.¨.
,.,«*=§¤@#                                          #@¤§=*«,.,
.,«†§$§### my mom  is here  now. i ask her for some ###§$§†«,.
¨,:~;$¤### particle  board for it  to  dry on,  but ###¤$;~:,¨
¨.¨,-:†&## she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ##&†:-,¨.¨
,,,¨,»:%£#              throw it away.              #£%:»,¨,,,
.,.,.-~†$$                                          $$†~-.,.,.
¨¨,,.¨:»/$                                          $/»:¨.,,¨¨
,¨¨¨,,..-^                                          ^-..,,¨¨¨,
.¨¨¨,,..~«                                          «~..,,¨¨¨.
,.¨,¨..,-:                                          :-,..¨,¨.,
¨¨.,..:~=%                                          %=~:..,.¨¨