¨-=^†&¤@##                                          ##@¤&†^=-¨
¨,¨,,¨«:@£                                          £@:«¨,,¨,¨
¨¨,¨,/$§¶#                                          #¶§$/,¨,¨¨
,¨~^\\$$#@                                          @#$$\\^~¨,
.,=:%¤£@@#                                          #@@£¤%:=,.
.^~^$%&¶##                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 #$:«.¨.,,,
..,,¨¨-:%# on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, #%:-¨¨,,..
...^»=»§##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##§»=»^...
,,-†*&@### freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ###@&*†-,,
,:~/†=§@§£                                          £§@§=†/~:,
.,,:--^##@ my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some @##^--:,,.
¨¨.,~-*¤§# particle  board for  it to  dry  on, but #§¤*-~,.¨¨
..«/*¤#@@# she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to #@@#¤*/«..
,,»*%§*£@@              throw it away.              @@£*§%*»,,
.,»;$§§###                                          ###§§$;»,.
.^»\=%§&§§                                          §§&§%=\»^.
,,»;†%£###                                          ###£%†;»,,
,^~†%*@¶##                                          ##¶@*%†~^,
¨~~;$£¤#£@                                          @£#¤£$;~~¨
.,,,--%*%#                                          #%*%--,,,.