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