,¨.¨.¨,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,¨.¨.¨,
¨,.¨¨¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨¨¨.,¨
.¨.,.,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,.,.¨.
~.,¨¨,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,¨¨,.~
:»,¨,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,¨,»:
^†-,,,.,¨.                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.              ,¨¨¨,^«/^¤
@¤=;=-¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨-=;=¤@
@¶#*;«...,                                          ,...«;*#¶@
#@@@%:~:,¨                                          ¨,:~:%@@@#
##@¶£†\~-.                                          .-~\†£¶@##
##@@*;»~¨.                                          .¨~»;*@@##
@¶@^/».,,.                                          .,,.»/^@¶@