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