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