,....^»/%%                                          %%/»^....,
.,,¨,.,=\$                                          $\=,.,¨,,.
..¨,¨^»\*§                                          §*\»^¨,¨..
¨,.,~-=%§&                                          &§%=-~,.,¨
,¨¨-»:^&¤#                                          #¤&^:»-¨¨,
,¨.~=*%&##                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 £$/~^,.¨¨¨
¨.,,..:~:= she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to =:~:..,,.¨
,.¨,¨,~/^£              throw it away.              £^/~,¨,¨.,
.¨.¨,~/§$¤                                          ¤$§/~,¨.¨.
¨,.:~/§*@#                                          #@*§/~:.,¨
.,-«^§$§##                                          ##§$§^«-,.
,-»:=¤####                                          ####¤=:»-,
,¨,-\**@##                                          ##@**\-,¨,
¨,..«\*$##                                          ##$*\«..,¨