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