¨.¨¨¨:=*$@                                          @$*=:¨¨¨.¨
,¨,,:~\*§¤                                          ¤§*\~:,,¨,
,¨¨~-\§£##                                          ##£§\-~¨¨,
.¨-=^=¤££#                                          #££¤=^=-¨.
¨,-/†%£¶##                                          ##¶£%†/-,¨
¨¨,~;$£#@@                statuette                 @@#£$;~,¨¨
..¨:=/^§£#                                          #£§^/=:¨..
.¨.,,«;=%§ *@%%%&@$*%$&%*@&~»~««-«~%$£@§@$&¤§%%&§£$ §%=;«,,.¨.
,..,..~\%$                 §$%%§*§$£                $%\~..,..,
¨¨¨¨,,:~†%                                          %†~:,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨..,.,,~/ forests around my  childhood home. thick /~,,.,..¨¨
..,.,.,,,» pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and »,,,.,.,..
¨,..¨¨,¨.^       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ^.¨,¨¨..,¨
,¨¨.¨,,¨,= underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it =,¨,,¨.¨¨,
,.,¨.,,.~: is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having :~.,,.¨,.,
..¨.,,^«:† already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. †:«^,,.¨..
,¨¨¨¨.«;$%                                          %$;«.¨¨¨¨,
,,¨,.»:^£@ there's a  river passing  by,  from east @£^:».,¨,,
.,.:»^*£§¶ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¶§£*^»:.,.
..:-:%§¤#@ slower as  it goes. equisetum  grow just @#¤§%:-:..
.^«:§$#@## 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.              @%\~-.¨,,,
,,¨¨,.^«^%                                          %^«^.,¨¨,,
¨¨.¨,,,.»*                                          *».,,,¨.¨¨
¨...,,¨¨^«                                          «^¨¨,,...¨
,..,¨¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨¨,..,
,¨..,,.¨,»                                          »,¨.,,..¨,
,.,¨,,¨-=:                                          :=-¨,,¨,.,