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