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