.~-:$&¤###                                          ###¤&$:-~.
,,-~†*$@##                                          ##@$*†~-,,
¨¨¨^«=§$§#                                          #§$§=«^¨¨¨
.¨¨.,»^*%§                                          §%*^»,.¨¨.
,,..,,«*§*                                          *§*«,,..,,
...,,.:-\^                 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 §$*=~^.¨..
,.¨¨,,»*^% the   house,  not  yet  really  in   the %^*»,,¨¨.,
....¨,:«^= backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my =^«:,¨....
¨¨.,.,..~; radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ;~..,.,.¨¨
¨.,¨,¨¨¨:- clay figure  i've never seen  before. it -:¨¨¨,¨,.¨
.,¨,¨..,,- must have been laying  in  the wet dirt, -,,..¨,¨,.
...¨..¨¨¨. and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my .¨¨¨..¨...
.,.¨¨..¨.,            other belongings.             ,.¨..¨¨.,.
,..¨,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,¨..,
.,,..,,¨.¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ¨.¨,,..,,.
¨¨..¨,¨¨¨, on   her  stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ,¨¨¨,¨..¨¨
..¨,,.¨...   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ...¨.,,¨..
¨.¨,...¨,¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨,¨...,¨.¨
¨¨¨¨.,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,.¨¨¨¨
..¨..¨..., my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some ,...¨..¨..
.¨¨.,,,¨¨. particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but .¨¨,,,.¨¨.
¨,..,.,.^~ she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ~^.,.,..,¨
,,,¨¨,¨^~=              throw it away.              =~^¨,¨¨,,,
¨¨,¨.¨,~*%                                          %*~,¨.¨,¨¨
,,¨¨¨,»/*%                                          %*/»,¨¨¨,,
¨,¨¨^~^§§£                                          £§§^~^¨¨,¨
¨.,^~:†&§@                                          @§&†:~^,.¨
¨¨,-†^%§##                                          ##§%^†-,¨¨
.:»/§$####                                          ####$§/»:.