.,¨¨.,«;*%                                          %*;«,.¨¨,.
.¨..¨¨,~†^                                          ^†~,¨¨..¨.
¨.¨¨..,,«:                                          :«,,..¨¨.¨
¨¨¨.¨,,=*%                                          %*=,,¨.¨¨¨
.,,¨.,=:§*                                          *§:=,.¨,,.
,¨..-~/$*&                 statuette                &*$/~-..¨,
,¨¨.~;§§¤@                                          @¤§§;~.¨¨,
,,^«=%£&@# ££$$£*§$££$*£$$£«~»»~~»~%@&£&*£$&*$¤%£@£ #@&£%=«^,,
¨,«^*$¤¶##                %¤%£&££§$                 ##¶¤$*^«,¨
¨,^=/%£§£#                                          #£§£%/=^,¨
.¨¨~-=*§¤# forests  around my childhood home. thick #¤§*=-~¨¨.
.¨...-/=¤¤ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¤¤=/-...¨.
,,,,.,«*$%      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.              ¤$;«~,.¨,¨
¨,.,.¨.»^%                                          %^».¨.,.,¨
.¨..¨..:==                                          ==:..¨..¨.
¨¨,.,.-=;§                                          §;=-.,.,¨¨
.,.¨.,=^%¤                                          ¤%^=,.¨.,.
.¨¨.^»;*%£                                          £%*;»^.¨¨.
,,,^~^†*&#                                          #&*†^~^,,,