.¨,.,,«^=*                                          *=^«,,.,¨.
,¨¨.¨¨~=*%                                          %*=~¨¨.¨¨,
¨,,.,.¨,~*                                          *~,¨.,.,,¨
,,.¨.¨:~\†                                          †\~:¨.¨.,,
,,,¨.,«/%¤                                          ¤%/«,.¨,,,
,¨,¨:«:§@#                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 £#£$:»-,¨¨
,,,.^»*§¤¤ she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ¤¤§*»^.,,,
.,¨.¨~~†*§              throw it away.              §*†~~¨.¨,.
,¨,.¨.-«;*                                          *;«-.¨.,¨,
.¨¨¨¨,¨-»=                                          =»-¨,¨¨¨¨.
,,,,,.,~†*                                          *†~,.,,,,,
.¨,,.,-;*&                                          &*;-,.,,¨.
.,¨¨^»^†£&                                          &£†^»^¨¨,.
¨¨.-~/^$§£                                          £§$^/~-.¨¨