.,,,.,»;†£                                          £†;»,.,,,.
,.¨,,¨,»;$                                          $;»,¨,,¨.,
¨,,,.,,--;                                          ;--,,.,,,¨
,,¨¨..~»**                                          **»~..¨¨,,
.,¨.¨^-†%§                                          §%†-^¨.¨,.
¨¨,,~«†**@                 statuette                @**†«~,,¨¨
.¨,~~;%&@#                                          #@&%;~~,¨.
¨..=:%&### £¤£&$§££§@%*£@&$«»=»=»~»££$%$*%*&*£¤£¤%% ###&%:=..¨
.^~:$*&###                 §£§$%$$$%                ###&*$:~^.
¨,~~\%$£@#                                          #@£$%\~~,¨
¨¨,-«†%£§# forests around my childhood home.  thick #§£%†«-,¨¨
,,,.^~^$£@ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and @£$^~^.,,,
,¨,,.,-*$&       forgotten. wild boars roaming      &$*-,.,,¨,
.¨..,¨.»:$ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it $:».¨,..¨.
,..¨¨..-~; is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ;~-..¨¨..,
¨,.¨¨,.~;^ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ^;~.,¨¨.,¨
¨..,¨,~†*%                                          %*†~,¨,..¨
.,,..»**¤# there's  a river passing  by, from  east #¤**»..,,.
.,.-«^*§§@ to west, getting broader  and deeper and @§§*^«-.,.
¨¨^-*§¤£## slower as  it goes. equisetum grow  just ##£¤§*-^¨¨
.~=†§$£@## where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let ##@£$§†=~.
..^«^=$@@# through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky #@@$=^«^..
,..-«=%%@#                river bed.                #@%%=«-..,
¨,...«=^¤¤                                          ¤¤^=«...,¨
¨.,,.:~^%$                    =                     $%^~:.,,.¨
¨¨.¨,.~=:%                                          %:=~.,¨.¨¨
.¨,,,,,--; the riverbanks  reek of  magic.  tonight ;--,,,,,¨.
¨..¨¨¨-==$ they had  been a swampworld  with sylvan $==-¨¨¨..¨
,,.¨,--;§§ water, stone  rings and  floating  moss. §§;--,¨.,,
.¨¨¨,=^§%# you  could've  found me wallowing around #%§^=,¨¨¨.
.¨,~»*%@## on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ##@%*»~,¨.
...»*§%¤##                 bitten.                  ##¤%§*»...
.,»/*$&###                                          ###&$*/»,.
¨¨-~=$$§@# 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.              $†;«,,¨.¨¨
,,..¨¨,=*^                                          ^*=,¨¨..,,
¨.¨,.¨¨.»*                                          *».¨¨.,¨.¨
,,,.¨.:»†*                                          *†»:.¨.,,,
.¨,¨,:~†*%                                          %*†~:,¨,¨.
,,,,^~^*%@                                          @%*^~^,,,,
.,,~»=§¤&#                                          #&¤§=»~,,.