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