¨,¨,~»-%£@                                          @£%-»~,¨,¨
¨,-==*¤£##                                          ##£¤*==-,¨
..¨¨,~-*%¶                                          ¶%*-~,¨¨..
¨-~^=£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£=^~-¨
.:-^%@&@##                                          ##@&@%^-:.
,~»==$§£##                statuette                 ##£§$==»~,
..-,:~;$¤#                                          #¤$;~:,-..
.~«^%£@#@# ¤%££*&%$$$£¤%£¤$~«»=»~=~$$@§@$%£¤&££¤£$% #@#@£%^«~.
¨¨.,=/=§#@                $£%£&§£&£                 @#§=/=,.¨¨
¨,~*$%&#@#                                          #@#&%$*~,¨
¨¨.¨,=«†£@ forests around my childhood home.  thick @£†«=,¨.¨¨
¨.,--=%&&@ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and @&&%=--,.¨
¨-~^*¤@###      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ###@¤*^~-¨
¨-~=%£§### underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ###§£%=~-¨
¨^~\=$@#@# 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.              #@@¤§†/«~.
.,¨.«=%§$¤                                          ¤$§%=«.¨,.
,~~=$&§@##                                          ##@§&$=~~,
¨.¨.¨,-;%@                                          @%;-,¨.¨.¨
¨.-*^%@@##                                          ##@@%^*-.¨
¨,~:^%§¶##                                          ##¶§%^:~,¨
,,~/†¤¤#@#                                          #@#¤¤†/~,,