,..¨..~=%¤                                          ¤%=~..¨..,
.-~:*§§###                                          ###§§*:~-.
¨,~;%&####                                          ####&%;~,¨
,.,:«:*&¤@                                          @¤&*:«:,.,
.-«:*£&£##                                          ##£&£*:«-.
,-=;=@£@##                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.              @@@@%**~,.
..-;^$@#¶#                                          #¶#@$^;-..
¨.-†§$§£@#                                          #@£§$§†-.¨
.¨,~~%*#&&                                          &&#*%~~,¨.
.~~:$&£@##                                          ##@£&$:~~.
,¨,,.††¤@@                                          @@¤††.,,¨,
.,^,^»«=&#                                          #&=«»^,^,.