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