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