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