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