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