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