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