.:~=^@&###                                          ###&@^=~:.
,,«=%@####                                          ####@%=«,,
.¨¨,~~*$&#                                          #&$*~~,¨¨.
¨^-†§%¤£##                                          ##£¤%§†-^¨
,,..¨.-~*§                                          §*~-.¨..,,
.,,,--\%@@                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 ##@£&†;=,.
¨^«/†$¤###              throw it away.              ###¤$†/«^¨
¨,-/*@¤£##                                          ##£¤@*/-,¨
.-«;†*&§@¶                                          ¶@§&*†;«-.
,,»†*££@##                                          ##@££*†»,,
,,~\%%^$%¶                                          ¶%$^%%\~,,
,¨^«\=¤%@#                                          #@%¤=\«^¨,
¨,-:%£####                                          ####£%:-,¨