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