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