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