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