,¨,..¨,:-=                                          =-:,¨..,¨,
,..,,.¨,,~                                          ~,,¨.,,..,
,,,¨,,.¨,:                                          :,¨.,,¨,,,
¨,..,,.,..                                          ..,.,,..,¨
,¨..,¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨,..¨,
,¨¨,.,..¨¨                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.              .,,¨.¨¨¨¨,
.,¨...¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨...¨,.
,...,¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨,...,
.¨,.,¨¨¨-~                                          ~-¨¨¨,.,¨.
..¨,,.,,«=                                          =«,,.,,¨..
¨,.¨¨,,~;=                                          =;~,,¨¨.,¨
.,.,..-;%%                                          %%;-..,.,.