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