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