.,,,-§$#£#                                          #£#$§-,,,.
,¨¨¨,-$£§@                                          @§£$-,¨¨¨,
.¨,~~^§@#@                                          @#@§^~~,¨.
.,.~^¤¤###                                          ###¤¤^~.,.
.~~$£#@###                                          ###@#£$~~.
..,-*£§###                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.              @£#*^=...¨
,,,.-«*$§@                                          @§$*«-.,,,
,¨.^»*@&£#                                          #£&@*»^.¨,
¨..~*$§@@#                                          #@@§$*~..¨
¨^-§*£####                                          ####£*§-^¨
¨,,~*@@¶@#                                          #@¶@@*~,,¨
.,¨^~*$@£#                                          #£@$*~^¨,.