,.,~/=%&@#                                          #@&%=/~,.,
,-»^=£¤###                                          ###¤£=^»-,
¨,-=^†%£¶#                                          #¶£%†^=-,¨
¨..,-;^%£¶                                          ¶£%^;-,..¨
,¨¨¨.-:%%¤                                          ¤%%:-.¨¨¨,
..,¨,.»/%$                 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 §§$;»~,.,.
...:«\§&¤# she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to #¤&§\«:...
..,-*†££##              throw it away.              ##££†*-,..
¨-~:%%@£##                                          ##£@%%:~-¨
¨.,«^^%&##                                          ##&%^^«,.¨
,¨¨,»=^£¤#                                          #¤£^=»,¨¨,
,¨¨¨.«;§%£                                          £%§;«.¨¨¨,
¨,,¨.^~*^$                                          $^*~^.¨,,¨
...,.¨,~\*                                          *\~,¨.,...