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