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