,.,¨.,-;$£                                          £$;-,.¨,.,
.¨,,,¨-»†*                                          *†»-¨,,,¨.
,¨,¨.¨,,»*                                          *»,,¨.¨,¨,
,....,,~†%                                          %†~,,....,
.,¨¨¨,-^%$                                          $%^-,¨¨¨,.
.,...~^**#                 statuette                #**^~...,.
.¨.~~^*§##                                          ##§*^~~.¨.
,¨,=\*$### £%£%%%%£*$$@&$%&«-~~=--«££§%¤@£%£$*&%@¤$ ###$*\=,¨,
¨,«/%§####                 £$%&@$&¤$                ####§%/«,¨
,¨,=/*£¶##                                          ##¶£*/=,¨,
..,,=*§§¶# forests around my childhood  home. thick #¶§§*=,,..
¨¨¨.-=**%£ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and £%**=-.¨¨¨
,.,,.~»†$%      forgotten. wild boars roaming       %$†»~.,,.,
¨,¨.,,^=/= underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it =/=^,,.¨,¨
,,,..¨,~«† is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having †«~,¨..,,,
¨,¨¨...~\† already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. †\~...¨¨,¨
,.¨.,-~;=$                                          $=;~-,.¨.,
..,,:«:^§¶ there's  a river passing  by,  from east ¶§^:«:,,..
,¨¨,=†=§¶# to west, getting broader and  deeper and #¶§=†=,¨¨,
.¨.=*$§¶## slower as it  goes.  equisetum grow just ##¶§$*=.¨.
¨~=^*§£@## where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ##@£§*^=~¨
,,.»:§@### through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ###@§:».,,
.,.^~/=%¶@                river bed.                @¶%=/~^.,.
,..,.==†@#                                          #@†==.,..,
.¨¨¨,:~^$£                     :                    £$^~:,¨¨¨.
,.¨¨,.:«**                                          **«:.,¨¨.,
..¨¨..,,»* the  riverbanks  reek  of magic. tonight *»,,..¨¨..
,..,..:-=$ they had been  a  swampworld with sylvan $=-:..,..,
,.,,.^-\$$ water,  stone rings and  floating  moss. $$\-^.,,.,
¨.,¨,«:*$@ you could've found me  wallowing  around @$*:«,¨,.¨
,,.:~*$§@@ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got @@§$*~:.,,
¨.:~;=%£##                 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 #@@£$*=~¨.
¨¨..«†§%@# particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but #@%§†«..¨¨
,¨¨,:»^^%¶ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¶%^^»:,¨¨,
¨¨,¨,-~/=%              throw it away.              %=/~-,¨,¨¨
¨..¨¨¨.~†%                                          %†~.¨¨¨..¨
,,.¨¨¨¨,»^                                          ^»,¨¨¨¨.,,
,.¨.,,--=*                                          *=--,,.¨.,
.,.,,-»:=$                                          $=:»-,,.,.
,¨.,,-;%&@                                          @&%;-,,.¨,
,,¨^-:*¤#@                                          @#¤*:-^¨,,