.¨..»\$$£#                                          #£$$\»..¨.
¨..«†*£&@#                                          #@&£*†«..¨
.,»*^*§###                                          ###§*^*»,.
¨¨~~†§%£##                                          ##£%§†~~¨¨
¨¨¨.«/%¤@#                                          #@¤%/«.¨¨¨
..¨.^»\%*&                 statuette                &*%\»^.¨..
¨,,,¨,~\§$                                          $§\~,¨,,,¨
..¨,..^~;% &§£§%$%££§&$£&%%»~»»~»~=£%&§%%§£$%£%%**% %;~^..,¨..
,..,.¨,,-=                &&§@&¤$$%                 =-,,¨.,..,
.,¨¨¨..¨.«                                          «.¨..¨¨¨,.
¨..,,¨..~* 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.             $^=»~¨¨,¨.
,.¨,¨¨.~^*                                          *^~.¨¨,¨.,
¨,..,¨,,~: it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked :~,,¨,..,¨
..¨.¨..,.= on   her  stomach,  feet  in   the  air, =.,..¨.¨..
¨,¨,.,..=/   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   /=..,.,¨,¨
.,,.¨,,»\= freshly  made, not yet completely dried. =\»,,¨.,,.
,,¨¨¨.=**£                                          £**=.¨¨¨,,
.,¨.-«\%£& my mom is here now. i  ask her  for some &£%\«-.¨,.
¨¨,~-^^%¤# particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but #¤%^^-~,¨¨
,,,~/†§£@# she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to #@£§†/~,,,
,~-/%§#@##              throw it away.              ##@#§%/-~,
,.,»:†¤@£#                                          #£@¤†:»,.,
¨,¨-~=%§##                                          ##§%=~-¨,¨
¨,¨,~~†%§£                                          £§%†~~,¨,¨
,...¨:«/=$                                          $=/«:¨...,
,,,..¨^-^$                                          $^-^¨..,,,
,¨,,.¨,:»†                                          †»:,¨.,,¨,