,..=*%@¤##                                          ##¤@%*=..,
,,«:=$&###                                          ###&$=:«,,
,¨,~/=*&@#                                          #@&*=/~,¨,
.¨,,«:§*&@                                          @&*§:«,,¨.
,¨,.^~†§¤@                                          @¤§†~^.,¨,
,.¨:~*†&§#                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 ¶¤%*^=^¨.,
.,-=^^$¤@#              throw it away.              #@¤$^^=-,.
.-~:^*@@##                                          ##@@*^:~-.
,¨,~*%&#@#                                          #@#&%*~,¨,
,¨.,«/$*&@                                          @&*$/«,.¨,
¨.,.~~/*§¤                                          ¤§*/~~.,.¨
¨¨..=\*¤&¶                                          ¶&¤*\=..¨¨
¨.,-\$%¤@#                                          #@¤%$\-,.¨