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