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