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