,¨¨.¨.~§£@                                          @£§~.¨.¨¨,
.,-=†%§###                                          ###§%†=-,.
,.~***&@##                                          ##@&***~.,
,,=;^$£@##                                          ##@£$^;=,,
¨,~~~\%%†£                                          £†%%\~~~,¨
,.,¨:,^=$#                statuette                 #$=^,:¨,.,
.¨.,.,.\%@                                          @%\.,.,.¨.
,,,,,^«~%¤ $¤£&§&$¤%&*%$£§£»«=»«=««£&§*&£¤&$¤@%§@$¤ ¤%~«^,,,,,
.¨¨.,~»/*¶                 £¤%£££$$£                ¶*/»~,.¨¨.
.¨¨,..-†&@                                          @&†-..,¨¨.
.¨¨¨~-^$## forests  around my childhood home. thick ##$^-~¨¨¨.
.,,,\^†=¤¶ 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 #@#§£§/-~.
,,.-^-:$##              throw it away.              ##$:-^-.,,
.,:.\/†;¤§                                          §¤;†/\.:,.
¨..,,:»*%@                                          @%*»:,,..¨
.,.,,:==@§                                          §@==:,,.,.
,.,,,./*¤@                                          @¤*/.,,,.,
,.¨.¨,«=$#                                          #$=«,¨.¨.,
¨:«:%£#@@#                                          #@@#£%:«:¨