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