¨.=$%@¶###                                          ###¶@%$=.¨
.,.-*¤#¶@#                                          #@¶#¤*-.,.
,.¨:»%%&@@                                          @@&%%»:¨.,
,¨,¨,«§$&@                                          @&$§«,¨,¨,
...¨.^=%$@                                          @$%=^.¨...
,.¨¨,.^~**                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.              #@@&%-.¨,¨
¨¨¨,^»*$¤#                                          #¤$*»^,¨¨¨
.¨,.¨,-%@£                                          £@%-,¨.,¨.
.,..¨¨^»*$                                          $*»^¨¨..,.
,.,,¨,~*§¤                                          ¤§*~,¨,,.,
.,¨¨^=*$##                                          ##$*=^¨¨,.
¨,,^»*§&#@                                          @#&§*»^,,¨