¨-»:†%§¶##                                          ##¶§%†:»-¨
¨¨¨¨,=$*$£                                          £$*$=,¨¨¨¨
.~»=%%¤###                                          ###¤%%=»~.
,:-==£¤###                                          ###¤£==-:,
,.,,,,~/%&                                          &%/~,,,,.,
,^»\**¤###                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 @@&*/«,¨,.
¨.~=%$#£@@              throw it away.              @@£#$%=~.¨
¨.«†$§&@@#                                          #@@&§$†«.¨
.:~\%%¤###                                          ###¤%%\~:.
,^-†%*§###                                          ###§*%†-^,
.:«\†$&¶##                                          ##¶&$†\«:.
,.¨,¨~:%¶@                                          @¶%:~¨,¨.,
,~«;§%####                                          ####%§;«~,