,.¨¨..,.»/                                          /».,..¨¨.,
,,¨..,.¨^-                                          -^¨.,..¨,,
,,,,¨...,-                                          -,...¨,,,,
¨¨¨¨¨,,¨.,                                          ,.¨,,¨¨¨¨¨
.¨.,¨...¨,                                          ,¨...¨,.¨.
,,,,,.¨¨.,                 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.              .¨.¨..,.¨.
¨¨,,..,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,..,,¨¨
¨.,.¨.,¨.-                                          -.¨,.¨.,.¨
¨,,¨.....~                                          ~.....¨,,¨
..¨¨¨..~»=                                          =»~..¨¨¨..
..¨,.,:»/%                                          %/»:,.,¨..
,¨¨,.:~†%%                                          %%†~:.,¨¨,