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