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