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