,.¨¨¨¨,~=*                                          *=~,¨¨¨¨.,
,¨¨,¨.¨^-=                                          =-^¨.¨,¨¨,
.¨¨¨¨,~«/*                                          */«~,¨¨¨¨.
.¨,.¨:«^%&                                          &%^«:¨.,¨.
,.¨.-~/^££                                          ££^/~-.¨.,
.¨,^=:^£&@                 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 &$^=»:.,..
¨,.-»;%¤£# on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, #£¤%;»-.,¨
¨¨,-/†£§#@   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   @#§£†/-,¨¨
,,=*%£@@@# freshly made, not yet  completely dried. #@@@£%*=,,
¨¨~=^%%#¶#                                          #¶#%%^=~¨¨
¨,¨:==§@¤£ my mom is here now. i ask her  for  some £¤@§==:¨,¨
.¨.,-~:*%£ particle board  for  it  to dry on,  but £%*:~-,.¨.
..,..^»:^¤ she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ¤^:»^..,..
,.¨.,,-~*=              throw it away.              =*~-,,.¨.,
¨¨..,.¨.»/                                          /».¨.,..¨¨
,¨.¨,¨:=:*                                          *:=:¨,¨.¨,
.,¨¨¨,~*§*                                          *§*~,¨¨¨,.
¨.,¨,~;§%£                                          £%§;~,¨,.¨
..¨-~;%£&@                                          @&£%;~-¨..
.,~«/^$£##                                          ##£$^/«~,.