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