,.,¨:~†%%@                                          @%%†~:¨,.,
¨,¨~=^%&##                                          ##&%^=~¨,¨
¨¨:=\*@###                                          ###@*\=:¨¨
,,=;$§£###                                          ###£§$;=,,
¨,,==*§£@#                                          #@£§*==,,¨
.¨.:~**&##                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, ##$*:=^¨,¨
¨,.¨^=;=¤@   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   @¤=;=^¨.,¨
¨,¨¨..=†*£ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. £*†=..¨¨,¨
.¨¨,,.~«*%                                          %*«~.,,¨¨.
¨.,.¨,¨.-/ my mom is here  now. i  ask her for some /-.¨,¨.,.¨
¨.¨,..,~^% particle board  for it  to  dry on,  but %^~,..,¨.¨
¨,,.,~~/^¤ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¤^/~~,.,,¨
¨¨,.,-/%¤@              throw it away.              @¤%/-,.,¨¨
¨¨,:-:†*##                                          ##*†:-:,¨¨
.¨,«/*§¶##                                          ##¶§*/«,¨.
¨.«\%$#@##                                          ##@#$%\«.¨
..,~;*$¶@#                                          #@¶$*;~,..
,,¨,~†^*#@                                          @#*^†~,¨,,
.,¨.:»=†£@                                          @£†=»:.¨,.