.¨¨..~=\†*                                          *†\=~..¨¨.
¨,.,:~^%$@                                          @$%^~:,.,¨
¨,..-:$§@@                                          @@§$:-..,¨
¨¨:~/%$¤##                                          ##¤$%/~:¨¨
..-*%££@##                                          ##@££%*-..
.¨~-/$§&@#                 statuette                #@&§$/-~¨.
.¨,~«/*££#                                          #££*/«~,¨.
.,.¨:~†**# %%§%$&%§£&£%$$§@~=~~=«=~*$¤*%%£§&§£¤§%§§ #**†~:¨.,.
¨¨¨¨.:~:§*                ££&@£*&§¤                 *§:~:.¨¨¨¨
,,¨,,.:~=†                                          †=~:.,,¨,,
,,,....-=; forests around  my childhood home. thick ;=-....,,,
,¨¨..,.¨:» pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and »:¨.,..¨¨,
,.....¨¨.^      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ^.¨¨.....,
¨,,,¨,,,-- underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it --,,,¨,,,¨
¨,.,,¨..»\ is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having \»..¨,,.,¨
.,...¨~~†^ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ^†~~¨...,.
¨,¨¨,-~\=£                                          £=\~-,¨¨,¨
¨¨,,,=*%*¤ there's a river passing  by,  from  east ¤*%*=,,,¨¨
,¨..«/**&# to west, getting broader  and deeper and #&**/«..¨,
..^~^*£@## slower as it goes. equisetum  grow  just ##@£*^~^..
.:»^$§@### where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ###@§$^»:.
¨,:«/†%@## through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ##@%†/«:,¨
¨,.,=^$$&#                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.              *†*~~...¨¨
¨,,¨,¨,«==                                          ==«,¨,¨,,¨
.¨,...,^-=                                          =-^,...,¨.
,,¨.,..¨~~                                          ~~¨..,.¨,,
¨.,..,,.¨-                                          -¨.,,..,.¨
.,,.¨...,»                                          »,...¨.,,.
¨¨¨.¨,¨,-/                                          /-,¨,¨.¨¨¨