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