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