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