.¨,~=*£§¶#                                          #¶§£*=~,¨.
,.,~=:†&££                                          ££&†:=~,.,
.,.,,~;=@@                                          @@=;~,,.,.
,,,¨¨~~†%$                                          $%†~~¨¨,,,
,,¨,.¨~=**                                          **=~¨.,¨,,
¨,¨.,..^-:                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.              =^¨,,.¨..¨
.¨.,¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨,.¨.
¨..¨¨.,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.¨¨..¨
¨.¨.,¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨,.¨.¨
.,..,¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨,..,.
,¨,.,.,.,,                                          ,,.,.,.,¨,
¨.,¨..¨,,,                                          ,,,¨..¨,.¨