.¨,¨,,,*§§                                          §§*,,,¨,¨.
¨~-:^%&§#¶                                          ¶#§&%^:-~¨
.¨--\$$¤§#                                          #§¤$$\--¨.
.-~*=$¤@¶@                                          @¶@¤$=*~-.
,,~*%%&£@@                                          @@£&%%*~,,
,¨¨^~-*£¶#                 statuette                #¶£*-~^¨¨,
,...-/§@&£                                          £&@§/-...,
,,=^^%&@£# *%$§&$&*£££@%$*%«==~~«-«&£&¤§*§$¤£**@*$@ #£@&%^^=,,
.~«=*^*@@#                 §*¤£&*$§%                #@@*^*=«~.
,,¨¨¨-=#@@                                          @@#=-¨¨¨,,
¨,~†%£@### forests around my childhood  home. thick ###@£%†~,¨
¨,-^=§§¶#@ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and @#¶§§=^-,¨
,:~†%&£@##      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ##@£&%†~:,
¨-«\%†*#@@ underneath, sniffing  at the  ground. it @@#*†%\«-¨
¨^-/**¤@## is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having ##@¤**/-^¨
,:=;†£§#@@ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. @@#§£†;=:,
.-=\%¤£¶##                                          ##¶£¤%\=-.
¨~~^$$@¶## 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   ###@%$\=^.
.,~=%&%%£# freshly made, not  yet completely dried. #£%%&%=~,.
.^«†%%%£@@                                          @@£%%%†«^.
.~-=»/§&£& my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some &£&§/»=-~.
.^~/*&¤@## particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but ##@¤&*/~^.
,¨.¨.==**£ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to £**==.¨.¨,
.:~/%@%£@&              throw it away.              &@£%@%/~:.
¨,~^=††¤¤@                                          @¤¤††=^~,¨
,:~;^=$%#@                                          @#%$=^;~:,
..¨¨:=*§£#                                          #£§*=:¨¨..
,,»†^*##@#                                          #@##*^†»,,
.¨¨¨,,.-=¤                                          ¤=-.,,¨¨¨.
¨^-;†£&@¤#                                          #¤@&£†;-^¨