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