¨¨.,,¨,-/^                                          ^/-,¨,,.¨¨
¨,.¨.¨,^~†                                          †~^,¨.¨.,¨
,¨..¨¨.=\%                                          %\=.¨¨..¨,
.,.¨.,=\$$                                          $$\=,.¨.,.
¨¨,.--*%$¤                                          ¤$%*--.,¨¨
.¨¨,-*§$@¶                 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 #§$†;-:¨¨,
¨.,.^»:†£§ particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but §£†:»^.,.¨
¨,.,¨~»†** she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to **†»~¨,.,¨
¨.,..¨:-†^              throw it away.              ^†-:¨..,.¨
.¨,,,¨¨,«†                                          †«,¨¨,,,¨.
,¨,,¨¨~=:^                                          ^:=~¨¨,,¨,
.¨¨,,^~;%&                                          &%;~^,,¨¨.
,¨¨.,-\^¤&                                          &¤^\-,.¨¨,
,,¨.=;†$@#                                          #@$†;=.¨,,
¨¨-=:%@#@#                                          #@#@%:=-¨¨