,,.,,~:$*#                                          #*$:~,,.,,
.,,^~=%@£@                                          @£@%=~^,,.
¨.-~/§§###                                          ###§§/~-.¨
,--:†%####                                          ####%†:--,
¨¨.-/§*¶@#                                          #@¶*§/-.¨¨
,¨¨,~*^@@#                 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.              %:~,.....¨
¨.,,..¨^~\                                          \~^¨..,,.¨
,,.¨,,.¨.~                                          ~.¨.,,¨.,,
,¨..¨,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,¨..¨,
.,¨..,.¨,~                                          ~,¨.,..¨,.
¨,,¨¨..--/                                          /--..¨¨,,¨
¨¨.¨.,~»=%                                          %=»~,.¨.¨¨