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