,,-†*$¤@##                                          ##@¤$*†-,,
¨-~\=¤§@##                                          ##@§¤=\~-¨
¨.,.,-^*@&                                          &@*^-,.,.¨
¨,¨~~%†§£#                                          #£§†%~~¨,¨
¨~=/§%#@##                                          ##@#%§/=~¨
¨,~^$%£¶##                 statuette                ##¶£%$^~,¨
,-~;=%¤£##                                          ##£¤%=;~-,
¨¨.«\=%§¤¤ &£§&£@%¤%££%$$*£-»~«~-»«@$¤%*&§§£¤%$@@%£ ¤¤§%=\«.¨¨
,,=/=$#£@#                *$££¤$¤¤%                 #@£#$=/=,,
¨--^=£#@@#                                          #@@#£=^--¨
¨,~/^$##@£ forests around my childhood home.  thick £@##$^/~,¨
,,~=^§%¤§£ 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 ###££$;~^¨
.¨¨¨.,^*§¶              throw it away.              ¶§*^,.¨¨¨.
¨-~\*%@###                                          ###@%*\~-¨
,,¨...=^$#                                          #$^=...¨,,
.-;=@§¶###                                          ###¶§@=;-.
..,..,\^@#                                          #@^\,..,..
.~-\%§£@##                                          ##@£§%\-~.
,¨,,~=*$#@                                          @#$*=~,,¨,