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