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