...,.,»;*%                                          %*;»,.,...
,,.,,,.»^*                                          *^».,,,.,,
.,,..,..-\                                          \-..,..,,.
..¨¨,¨~-^%                                          %^-~¨,¨¨..
,.¨,..~;=£                                          £=;~..,¨.,
¨...-~\*%§                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 £$**«~,,¨,
.¨.¨.--/§%              throw it away.              %§/--.¨.¨.
,,.,..,-=*                                          *=-,..,.,,
¨,,.¨.,--=                                          =--,.¨.,,¨
¨,¨.,¨:~;$                                          $;~:¨,.¨,¨
¨,¨,¨.~\†&                                          &†\~.¨,¨,¨
¨,¨.,«\†*&                                          &*†\«,.¨,¨
¨¨¨--\§@£#                                          #£@§\--¨¨¨