,,=†^§&###                                          ###&§^†=,,
.¨¨¨,,:†¤§                                          §¤†:,,¨¨¨.
¨.,¨¨¨=~=¤                                          ¤=~=¨¨¨,.¨
.:~\$§§@##                                          ##@§§$\~:.
¨,~^^&£@##                                          ##@£&^^~,¨
,,¨¨,~†@&£                 statuette                £&@†~,¨¨,,
,¨.¨,^†*@§                                          §@*†^,¨.¨,
.,¨¨«==%£¤ *§*%%$£@%$*%§%@$~~=-~«»»$$*$%£%£*§§*%¤@* ¤£%==«¨¨,.
.,~\§§§#@#                &£&$%*$&&                 #@#§§§\~,.
.,,.,,:%%£                                          £%%:,,.,,.
,-~\*@£### forests around my  childhood home. thick ###£@*\~-,
..~,-/=*&# pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and #&*=/-,~..
¨~~;=*#£##       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ##£#*=;~~¨
,.,.-†§¤¤§ underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it §¤¤§†-.,.,
¨~~\^£@@## is dark and  moist,  the  canopy  having ##@@£^\~~¨
.:»=$&£### 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 ¤%=»--,¨.¨
.~=\^$&¶@#              throw it away.              #@¶&$^\=~.
,:»:=&§@##                                          ##@§&=:»:,
¨,-=^%£@##                                          ##@£%^=-,¨
¨-~=^*#£#¶                                          ¶#£#*^=~-¨
,,«:*&§¶##                                          ##¶§&*:«,,
.,«\*£¤###                                          ###¤£*\«,.
,¨,.=«=§#@                                          @#§=«=.,¨,