¨,,.,=/†¤¶                                          ¶¤†/=,.,,¨
¨¨¨,=†§&£#                                          #£&§†=,¨¨¨
,,,-/^§###                                          ###§^/-,,,
,,~/*#@@##                                          ##@@#*/~,,
.¨,»=†£###                                          ###£†=»,¨.
¨¨¨-«/%&@#                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.            @#$/~:,.¨¨
..,..,~*%@                                          @%*~,..,..
¨.,,..,~^* it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked *^~,..,,.¨
.¨¨.,¨¨-«† on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, †«-¨¨,.¨¨.
,,¨¨.¨..:~   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ~:..¨.¨¨,,
...,,,.~~/ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. /~~.,,,...
¨¨,,.,,=\=                                          =\=,,.,,¨¨
,.,,,-~=%# my mom is here  now. i ask her for  some #%=~-,,,.,
.¨,¨^«:*££ particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but ££*:«^¨,¨.
,..~~\*§£@ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to @£§*\~~..,
.¨,~/%#£##              throw it away.              ##£#%/~,¨.
¨,»;$@¶###                                          ###¶@$;»,¨
.¨,»;†£¶@#                                          #@¶£†;»,¨.
,.¨^-;§¤##                                          ##¤§;-^¨.,
.,¨.-~=^#@                                          @#^=~-.¨,.
..¨,¨-~=%@                                          @%=~-¨,¨..
,,.¨.¨,~\%                                          %\~,¨.¨.,,