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