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