,¨.^=:*%¤@                                          @¤%*:=^.¨,
,.¨,:~/$@@                                          @@$/~:,¨.,
¨.¨..^=^^*                                          *^^=^..¨.¨
¨.,.¨¨~=/=                                          =/=~¨¨.,.¨
,.¨,¨¨,^=:                                          :=^,¨¨,¨.,
¨.¨,.¨¨,,-                 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 ###§=^-..,
.¨.~==$$&@ particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but @&$$==~.¨.
¨,¨..~^†$§ she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to §$†^~..¨,¨
,...¨,»;$*              throw it away.              *$;»,¨...,
¨..,.¨^-/*                                          */-^¨.,..¨
..¨¨,.¨,»†                                          †»,¨.,¨¨..
......¨.-~                                          ~-.¨......
..,,¨,..-;                                          ;-..,¨,,..
¨,,¨,,-=*%                                          %*=-,,¨,,¨
,,.,,^«†=$                                          $=†«^,,.,,