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