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