¨-»^%%&###                                          ###&%%^»-¨
¨,^«:%*§@#                                          #@§*%:«^,¨
..,,«†*$¤#                                          #¤$*†«,,..
,¨-»^=§###                                          ###§=^»-¨,
,^=^*@§@##                                          ##@§@*^=^,
¨¨,=†**&##                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 ##@&$†^~~.
.¨:«:*@#@# to  get  up,   still   looking  at   the #@#@*:«:¨.
,,,,»\^%£# direction  of sound  rather  than  at my #£%^\»,,,,
¨.,-/=*£@# hands,  who are  busy  putting things in #@£*=/-,.¨
,,~:*£@@##               my pockets.                ##@@£*:~,,
.¨,~=†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†=~,¨.
¨.,-»^%§@¶ then   i   run  east  toward   my  home. ¶@§%^»-,.¨
.,^~†*§#@#                                          #@#§*†~^,.
,~-;*$£###                    :                     ###£$*;-~,
¨¨^«\$$§##                                          ##§$$\«^¨¨
¨,,-=*%*&# i am not followed,  and slow down in the #&*%*=-,,¨
,¨-«;§&£@# clearing where  you at  first  can  spot #@£&§;«-¨,
¨.~:*%¤£## the   house,   not  yet  really  in  the ##£¤%*:~.¨
..~=;†&¤¶# backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my #¶¤&†;=~..
..¨,«;%%#¶ radio (now  dented)  but  also  a  small ¶#%%;«,¨..
¨,,«;*%&## clay  figure i've never seen  before. it ##&%*;«,,¨
¨,=^†%§@## must  have been laying in the wet  dirt, ##@§%†^=,¨
¨¨^«†§§§## and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my ##§§§†«^¨¨
...,»†*@§¶             other belongings.            ¶§@*†»,...
,¨-~*%§¤@#                                          #@¤§%*~-¨,
,^»;†¤¤### it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ###¤¤†;»^,
,,.-/%&§## on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, ##§&%/-.,,
..¨,~\%£¤@   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   @¤£%\~,¨..
.¨~~;†*&## freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ##&*†;~~¨.
.,~†%&§@##                                          ##@§&%†~,.
,.^«==%£@# my mom  is here now. i ask her for  some #@£%==«^.,
,,.,~;%¤¤@ particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but @¤¤%;~,.,,
¨.--*=£@£# she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to #£@£=*--.¨
,~~/^£&@##              throw it away.              ##@&£^/~~,
.,~~=%@¤##                                          ##¤@%=~~,.
¨¨,,~\$%§#                                          #§%$\~,,¨¨
,.~~:$$§¶#                                          #¶§$$:~~.,
,.=:%£¤###                                          ###¤£%:=.,
..:-\§&#@#                                          #@#&§\-:..
...,«†*£¤£                                          £¤£*†«,...