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