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