¨¨,¨¨.--\*                                          *\--.¨¨,¨¨
.,..¨.¨.=^                                          ^=.¨.¨..,.
,..¨¨¨:-†$                                          $†-:¨¨¨..,
,.,¨,-»^=£                                          £=^»-,¨,.,
,.¨,,~^*§@                                          @§*^~,,¨.,
¨¨,^»=^%##                statuette                 ##%^=»^,¨¨
,..«\*$@@#                                          #@@$*\«..,
.:~:^@#@## &%$£@§¤*$$$¤&&££-««~=~--&%§%¤&¤&¤§£$¤*$* ##@#@^:~:.
.,-~;%§###                *£§£$%*¤%                 ###§%;~-,.
,,¨-~†*%##                                          ##%*†~-¨,,
..¨,~~/*£@ forests around my childhood home.  thick @£*/~~,¨..
,.,¨.,-\*$ 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.              */».¨.¨..¨
,,..,.,,~;                                          ;~,,.,..,,
..¨..,,=;*                                          *;=,,..¨..
.¨..¨~«:%*                                          *%:«~¨..¨.
,¨¨,~~†§£@                                          @£§†~~,¨¨,
,..,~†*£##                                          ##£*†~,..,
.¨:=†=&@@#                                          #@@&=†=:¨.