¨¨¨.,-«††%                                          %††«-,.¨¨¨
......~«=*                                          *=«~......
.,¨¨.¨.^=†                                          †=^.¨.¨¨,.
,.¨.¨,~=;§                                          §;=~,¨.¨.,
.¨,¨,,~:^$                                          $^:~,,¨,¨.
¨,¨,:~\$§@                 statuette                @§$\~:,¨,¨
¨,.,=†%%@@                                          @@%%†=,.,¨
¨.,~*†£#@# %$$$%@@@%££¤§&§§~»»»=~«»¤@¤§$£@**%$$$@@% #@#£†*~,.¨
.:~;=£¶###                &£§§£¤£%%                 ###¶£=;~:.
.,.~/=$@@#                                          #@@$=/~.,.
,¨¨~«*†£¶@ 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 #£*$=»,,¨.
..¨,~~/^%£ she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to £%^/~~,¨..
¨,¨,,.»/*%              throw it away.              %*/».,,¨,¨
,,.,.,-»/%                                          %/»-,.,.,,
¨.¨¨...-«\                                          \«-...¨¨.¨
...¨..:=;†                                          †;=:..¨...
,,..¨-~^^$                                          $^^~-¨..,,
,¨,¨.-^%&#                                          #&%^-.¨,¨,
.¨¨:»;%$£#                                          #£$%;»:¨¨.