¨~^,~/=$@¤                                          ¤@$=/~,^~¨
.,~=†%%£¤@                                          @¤£%%†=~,.
,.-\$$#£##                                          ##£#$$\-.,
,,-^=£¤#@#                                          #@#¤£=^-,,
,,..~~^%@#                                          #@%^~~..,,
.,~\§%&@##                 statuette                ##@&%§\~,.
¨.†%§&####                                          ####&§%†.¨
.-=*%%¤@## ¤$£*£&&@&$§£*££@-=~»~»~~$£££§£@¤&%$*%§£$ ##@¤%%*=-.
,:===$@#@#                 §%££%*¤%£                #@#@$===:,
,,~;^^†$&@                                          @&$†^^;~,,
¨~=\§£@@## forests  around my childhood home. thick ##@@£§\=~¨
¨..¨^/\^%£ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and £%^\/^¨..¨
,.~~~†%=@#       forgotten. wild boars roaming      #@=%†~~~.,
.,.¨.,-:*@ underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it @*:-,.¨.,.
.:~†§$£@## is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ##@£$§†~:.
,-«*^£$&@# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #@&$£^*«-,
.¨¨.,.,/^&                                          &^/,.,.¨¨.
,^=^†¤#@@# there's  a river  passing by,  from east #@@#¤†^=^,
,,~*\*$#@@ to west, getting broader and  deeper and @@#$*\*~,,
¨~.==%@@¤# slower  as it goes. equisetum  grow just #¤@@%==.~¨
..,.,~§$£# where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let #£$§~,.,..
¨,.-=*@#£# through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky #£#@*=-.,¨
,-~=$$#£@#                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.              @@%»~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨.¨¨~*$§£                                          £§$*~¨¨.¨¨
¨...=»=§@@                                          @@§=»=...¨
.¨,,,,.»%¤                                          ¤%».,,,,¨.
.-~**£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£**~-.
,,¨,¨.»^@¤                                          ¤@^».¨,¨,,
,,,¨»=%&@#                                          #@&%=»¨,,,