,...-=£%##                                          ##%£=-...,
,-«==£¤@##                                          ##@¤£==«-,
¨-«^†%¤£@#                                          #@£¤%†^«-¨
.,-:%¤§¶##                                          ##¶§¤%:-,.
.¨¨¨,~\@%@                                          @%@\~,¨¨¨.
.:~\§$¤@##                statuette                 ##@¤$§\~:.
,¨¨¨.~\%&¤                                          ¤&%\~.¨¨¨,
¨^~=^$#### $§%§£%*$$$¤*%$$%»~~~~-»~$%£*&@£%£@%&§@@* ####$^=~^¨
.,~:†£@@#£                 $%%£&@§$%                £#@@£†:~,.
¨:=/*§##@#                                          #@##§*/=:¨
.-~=$$§&¤¤ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¤¤&§$$=~-.
,,-;*¤@@## 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.              @@$@†^«¨,¨
¨.-;*$#£##                                          ##£#$*;-.¨
,.¨,¨~=§&@                                          @&§=~¨,¨.,
..,-,~~%*#                                          #*%~~,-,..
,,«;$%=*£#                                          #£*=%$;«,,
¨^-^†%§£##                                          ##£§%†^-^¨
,^«;*%§@##                                          ##@§%*;«^,