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