¨.:»/=@¤##                                          ##¤@=/»:.¨
¨~«:=*§###                                          ###§*=:«~¨
.¨:-/=%§##                                          ##§%=/-:¨.
¨¨.:=\%%@#                                          #@%%\=:.¨¨
.¨¨,^=^%$£                                          £$%^=^,¨¨.
.,¨.,,=;*£                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. *$==,¨¨,,.
,..,:~:^%§                                          §%^:~:,..,
,,¨~~;†§§£ my mom is  here now. i ask  her for some £§§†;~~¨,,
¨.,=\*£@£@ particle  board for  it  to dry  on, but @£@£*\=,.¨
¨:~:†§£@@# she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to #@@£§†:~:¨
.,,~;%%£@#              throw it away.              #@£%%;~,,.
¨,.,~^%@#¶                                          ¶#@%^~,.,¨
¨¨..,»**&@                                          @&**»,..¨¨
.¨....=/$@                                          @$/=....¨.
,¨..¨.~«\=                                          =\«~.¨..¨,
,.¨¨.,~*^$                                          $^*~,.¨¨.,
¨¨¨¨~-^§£§                                          §£§^-~¨¨¨¨