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