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