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