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