¨,,.¨«$£##                                          ##£$«¨.,,¨
¨,~†%¤#¶##                                          ##¶#¤%†~,¨
¨.~;$#¶@##                                          ##@¶#$;~.¨
¨,¨-=$%*#@                                          @#*%$=-¨,¨
¨-=;$§¤@##                                          ##@¤§$;=-¨
,¨.,^~=-$¤                 statuette                ¤$-=~^,.¨,
,,==$$¤£¶¶                                          ¶¶£¤$$==,,
.:«=†%£*@@ %$¤&*£@£*&&@$¤$%~~»»«~»«$¤&¤**%§$@$$£%¤¤ @@*£%†=«:.
..=^§*&¶@#                 %£@¤%$£$£                #@¶&*§^=..
,,,..~^¤@@                                          @@¤^~..,,,
,.-/*£¤@## forests  around my childhood home. thick ##@¤£*/-.,
,^~;%&§£## pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ##£§&%;~^,
.-«^=¤¤@##      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ##@¤¤=^«-.
.-~=£§#@## underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ##@#§£=~-.
,,,¨-:$%¤¶ is dark  and  moist,  the canopy  having ¶¤%$:-¨,,,
,-»^%£££## already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ##£££%^»-,
¨-»†§#¶@##                                          ##@¶#§†»-¨
,^»^*$£@## there's a river  passing by,  from  east ##@£$*^»^,
.~~:$$@### 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 ¶£¶&&*^-:,
.,-;$*&&&@              throw it away.              @&&&*$;-,.
.,-;*¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤*;-,.
.^~\*@§@@#                                          #@@§@*\~^.
¨~«*%*£@##                                          ##@£*%*«~¨
.,~*%*&£##                                          ##£&*%*~,.
.:-;%§&@##                                          ##@&§%;-:.
,:-==%***@                                          @***%==-:,