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