,¨..¨¨.-*§                                          §*-.¨¨..¨,
.¨¨,,-~†*%                                          %*†~-,,¨¨.
¨,.,^»/$%§                                          §%$/»^,.,¨
.,¨:=\=&@@                                          @@&=\=:¨,.
.¨~~/§%§##                                          ##§%§/~~¨.
¨-«=$£§£##                statuette                 ##£§£$=«-¨
,.-~†*%@¶#                                          #¶@%*†~-.,
...-»:=%§@ %¤&%$$¤*§¤%§§¤£%=~~=»«=~¤££$££¤$@*££&$$@ @§%=:»-...
¨...~~†=§¤                %¤*%%§££$                 ¤§=†~~...¨
,..,¨~~/†$                                          $†/~~¨,..,
¨.¨¨,,.-;* forests around my  childhood home. thick *;-.,,¨¨.¨
¨,.....:~\ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and \~:.....,¨
¨¨.,.¨¨.^=      forgotten. wild boars roaming       =^.¨¨.,.¨¨
.¨,,¨.¨,=: underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it :=,¨.¨,,¨.
,,¨.¨..~/$ 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.              £*$==.¨¨.,
.,¨~-:%¤£¶                                          ¶£¤%:-~¨,.
...»†%&&¶#                                          #¶&&%†»...
.,«;%&####                                          ####&%;«,.
,,:«==@££#                                          #££@==«:,,
¨.,^=\%$¤¶                                          ¶¤$%\=^,.¨
,¨,¨~~**&£                                          £&**~~¨,¨,