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