,,¨,~*†§&@                                          @&§†*~,¨,,
,.,.^~^*$@                                          @$*^~^.,.,
.....-~=%§                                          §%=~-.....
....¨¨^-:%                                          %:-^¨¨....
.¨,.¨,.-»†                                          †»-.,¨.,¨.
¨¨..,¨.,~«                 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   $**=~,,¨,¨
..¨,..,~=% freshly  made, not yet completely dried. %=~,..,¨..
¨.¨.,,¨:~*                                          *~:¨,,.¨.¨
¨,,,¨¨,.,~ my  mom is here now. i ask  her for some ~,.,¨¨,,,¨
¨,¨¨..¨¨.~ particle board  for  it  to dry on,  but ~.¨¨..¨¨,¨
¨,,....¨.» she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ».¨....,,¨
.,¨¨.,,-«*              throw it away.              *«-,,.¨¨,.
..,¨.,-»*†                                          †*»-,.¨,..
...,¨--=%£                                          £%=--¨,...
.,¨¨-«:§&@                                          @&§:«-¨¨,.
,¨¨.~;$&¤@                                          @¤&$;~.¨¨,
.,:~:**¤#@                                          @#¤**:~:,.
¨:=***£###                                          ###£***=:¨