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