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