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