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