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