¨,~/$*@@##                                          ##@@*$/~,¨
.,»\†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†\»,.
.,,,¨.=$¤&                                          &¤$=.¨,,,.
.¨,,=//†&#                                          #&†//=,,¨.
¨-«==£#@##                                          ##@#£==«-¨
¨^«/§@####                 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. £¤£†=,,,..
,^-^$$@¶##                                          ##¶@$$^-^,
,,»\^¤£#¤# my mom is here  now. i  ask her for some #¤#£¤^\»,,
..=††§&¶## particle  board for  it  to dry on,  but ##¶&§††=..
¨^~/=*%£@@ she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to @@£%*=/~^¨
,..,,¨»^$£              throw it away.              £$^»¨,,..,
,,»†$$§§@#                                          #@§§$$†»,,
,^~/=†%$@#                                          #@$%†=/~^,
¨~~*%%&###                                          ###&%%*~~¨
,-~^†*####                                          ####*†^~-,
¨,¨¨¨.,\$£                                          £$\,.¨¨¨,¨
¨-=*/†^&£@                                          @£&^†/*=-¨