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