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