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