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