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