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