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