.¨,,^«*=£&                                          &£=*«^,,¨.
,,,.,-«/*£                                          £*/«-,.,,,
¨.,¨.¨-»:†                                          †:»-¨.¨,.¨
¨,..¨¨.~~;                                          ;~~.¨¨..,¨
,¨,.,¨¨.,-                                          -,.¨¨,.,¨,
.....¨¨¨..                 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.              &@*†-..¨,¨
.,,,,.=^=£                                          £=^=.,,,,.
,.¨,,¨--^^                                          ^^--¨,,¨.,
..,.,¨.~«:                                          :«~.¨,.,..
,.,¨,¨,,:~                                          ~:,,¨,¨,.,
¨¨..¨.¨,.~                                          ~.,¨.¨..¨¨
.,..¨,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,¨..,.