¨..,:««$§#                                          #§$««:,..¨
¨-~;†%&§§@                                          @§§&%†;~-¨
¨..¨.:/=§§                                          §§=/:.¨..¨
,,.,,=%%£@                                          @£%%=,,.,,
,~=\%%@###                                          ###@%%\=~,
¨,~†=$££@#                 statuette                #@££$=†~,¨
¨^»**@£@##                                          ##@£@**»^¨
¨,..¨.»$$& &%%¤&*£*%$@%%£*$=»»»»»~=&$%¤¤$£%¤%$%¤$$% &$$».¨..,¨
,¨,¨,:†=^¤                 $$%£%%$@£                ¤^=†:,¨,¨,
,:«;**¤£@#                                          #@£¤**;«:,
,~«=*$*^$# forests  around my childhood home. thick #$^*$*=«~,
¨:=**$&### 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, ####@%$\=~
¨.»:*§§£##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##£§§*:».¨
¨.«\*%@#@# freshly made, not  yet completely dried. #@#@%*\«.¨
,.=*=¤@@##                                          ##@@¤=*=.,
..~\†@§£@# my mom is here now.  i  ask her for some #@£§@†\~..
.,..,,/^@# particle board for  it  to  dry on,  but #@^/,,..,.
¨,¨...«%£# she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to #£%«...¨,¨
.~»:§@£¶##              throw it away.              ##¶£@§:»~.
¨.¨..:=^§#                                          #§^=:..¨.¨
¨~~:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:~~¨
,,~*†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†*~,,
¨¨..,.~=*¤                                          ¤*=~.,..¨¨
.,=^§@#£@#                                          #@£#@§^=,.
.,^~-=*§¶#                                          #¶§*=-~^,.