,.,~/*$&@#                                          #@&$*/~,.,
.¨,-«=%$§@                                          @§$%=«-,¨.
...,~«=*££                                          ££*=«~,...
.,.,,,«*%%                                          %%*«,,,.,.
,,.¨..,~^%                                          %^~,..¨.,,
¨,¨.¨.¨.-*                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 $\»~¨.,¨¨¨
¨¨.¨,.-;=£ clay figure  i've  never seen before. it £=;-.,¨.¨¨
¨.,.~=*§%§ must have been  laying  in the wet dirt, §%§*=~.,.¨
.¨.,~†=@&# and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my #&@=†~,.¨.
¨.,===@&##            other belongings.             ##&@===,.¨
,~~/=£§###                                          ###§£=/~~,
,.,~/=@### it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked ###@=/~,.,
.,¨-«†§&@# on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, #@&§†«-¨,.
..¨.~~^=*§   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   §*=^~~.¨..
..,.,,=/*% freshly made, not yet  completely dried. %*/=,,.,..
¨¨....,~=$                                          $=~,....¨¨
¨.,¨,¨.-~* my mom is here  now. i  ask her for some *~-.¨,¨,.¨
,..,..¨,,~ particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ~,,¨..,..,
.,,,,¨.¨¨- she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to -¨¨.¨,,,,.
¨¨,,,.¨¨~«              throw it away.              «~¨¨.,,,¨¨
,,¨.¨..:~^                                          ^~:..¨.¨,,
,¨,,¨.^=/†                                          †/=^.¨,,¨,
,.,.¨~«:†&                                          &†:«~¨.,.,
¨,¨,.«;*£§                                          §£*;«.,¨,¨
¨¨,:=/$§§#                                          #§§$/=:,¨¨
.¨.«†$§¤##                                          ##¤§$†«.¨.