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