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