,,¨¨¨,:~/*                                          */~:,¨¨¨,,
..¨¨¨,..»†                                          †»..,¨¨¨..
,.¨¨..¨,-«                                          «-,¨..¨¨.,
..,¨..¨~-/                                          /-~¨..¨,..
..,¨,¨,~:=                                          =:~,¨,¨,..
¨¨¨.¨,-=*@                 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 $%/~,,..,¨
...¨,¨~«/§ particle board  for it  to  dry on,  but §/«~¨,¨...
¨,...,.,~; she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ;~,.,...,¨
¨¨,,,,...«              throw it away.              «...,,,,¨¨
,..,..,-~\                                          \~-,..,..,
...¨.,.=\*                                          *\=.,.¨...
¨,,¨,,~:§$                                          $§:~,,¨,,¨
,,.,-«/=@£                                          £@=/«-,.,,
,,¨~»;%*@@                                          @@*%;»~¨,,
,¨.-†$*§##                                          ##§*$†-.¨,