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