,.¨:-/†&@#                                          #@&†/-:¨.,
¨¨¨.,=/†@#                                          #@†/=,.¨¨¨
.,¨,.:»*§§                                          §§*»:.,¨,.
¨...,.^-\%                                          %\-^.,...¨
.,,,,¨¨,=;                                          ;=,¨¨,,,,.
..,.¨¨.¨,«                 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.              #§=«...¨,.
,,¨.¨,.~/=                                          =/~.,¨.¨,,
.¨,,,,.-«\                                          \«-.,,,,¨.
...¨¨.,¨-»                                          »-¨,.¨¨...
¨,.,..¨,«*                                          *«,¨..,.,¨
¨,.,,.:-^%                                          %^-:.,,.,¨
¨¨..,-=\*@                                          @*\=-,..¨¨