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