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