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