¨...,^=:§§                                          §§:=^,...¨
,,.,,¨¨=*§                                          §*=¨¨,,.,,
¨:~«=^¤§§#                                          #§§¤^=«~:¨
¨,~†^@@@##                                          ##@@@^†~,¨
,.¨~-==¤¤#                                          #¤¤==-~¨.,
,,=:§£####                 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 ###&**†=,.
¨.~*%$&£¤& she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to &¤£&$%*~.¨
¨,»†*$£¶@#              throw it away.              #@¶£$*†»,¨
.,¨,-^†£#@                                          @#£†^-,¨,.
..,::/£$@@                                          @@$£/::,..
..,..,,†^¤                                          ¤^†,,..,..
.,«;$&#£##                                          ##£#&$;«,.
.,~$££@###                                          ###@££$~,.
.¨.¨,,«=$@                                          @$=«,,¨.¨.