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