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