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