¨.¨.:-\%$#                                          #$%\-:.¨.¨
.,..~;%*@@                                          @@*%;~..,.
,..»;*%&@@                                          @@&%*;»..,
¨~-†%$££##                                          ##££$%†-~¨
¨.,~:%%#£#                                          #£#%%:~,.¨
.¨.-~:%$##                statuette                 ##$%:~-.¨.
..,.,«*^§¤                                          ¤§^*«,.,..
¨¨,,.^~/*£ %&£§@&£*%§¤£¤%%@~~~=~««-¤£&&%$*¤%%¤£@**% £*/~^.,,¨¨
,¨,,¨.,~††                £@$%@£&%*                 ††~,.¨,,¨,
¨,,¨.,.,~\                                          \~,.,.¨,,¨
,,.¨¨,.=;* 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. £$^=,,¨¨¨¨
¨.¨¨¨¨~«;*                                          *;«~¨¨¨¨.¨
¨,¨..,.,~^ my mom is here  now. i ask her for  some ^~,.,..¨,¨
¨¨....:«*= particle  board for  it to dry  on,  but =*«:....¨¨
,¨,.¨:~*§& she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to &§*~:¨.,¨,
¨..,,«†**&              throw it away.              &**†«,,..¨
¨,¨.=;%¤&#                                          #&¤%;=.¨,¨
¨.^-==$#@#                                          #@#$==-^.¨
,:-/$*§£##                                          ##£§*$/-:,
¨,.=†%&@@#                                          #@@&%†=.,¨
,¨¨:«*=%§#                                          #§%=*«:¨¨,
¨¨.,-»**£&                                          &£**»-,.¨¨