,,¨,,,^:$&                                          &$:^,,,¨,,
,-=;$&§¶##                                          ##¶§&$;=-,
,,¨.~*%££¶                                          ¶££%*~.¨,,
¨¨.,~-*$&£                                          £&$*-~,.¨¨
.-~\†$&@##                                          ##@&$†\~-.
¨.,.:†*$¤£                statuette                 £¤$*†:.,.¨
.~==*&@###                                          ###@&*==~.
.^«:†%£$§& ¤&£%*£$%$£%§*¤%£~«~-~~=~@$§£¤$@%%*&$*$$& &§$£%†:«^.
.,.,¨:=*@§                 %$%¤@%¤£$                §@*=:¨,.,.
¨^=^*%¤£@#                                          #@£¤%*^=^¨
,,=;^§£¶## 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 &&*†%^».¨.
.^~/$&#@@# she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to #@@#&$/~^.
¨^«†$££@##              throw it away.              ##@££$†«^¨
¨-~:†£¤###                                          ###¤£†:~-¨
¨:~\*@#@##                                          ##@#@*\~:¨
,~»/$¤####                                          ####¤$/»~,
¨,~†**#£##                                          ##£#**†~,¨
¨¨.,»=$§£#                                          #£§$=»,.¨¨
,~-=$£#@@¶                                          ¶@@#£$=-~,