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