¨,..¨.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.¨..,¨
.¨..¨.,,,,                                          ,,,,.¨..¨.
.,¨¨.¨,,.-                                          -.,,¨.¨¨,.
.,,,.,..:»                                          »:..,.,,,.
,¨.,¨¨..==                                          ==..¨¨,.¨,
¨..,.,--;=                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.              .,,.,,...,
.,¨,.,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,.,¨,.
,.¨.¨.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.¨.¨.,
,.¨,,¨..^-                                          -^..¨,,¨.,
¨..¨.¨,,~;                                          ;~,,¨.¨..¨
.¨¨,,.~-==                                          ==-~.,,¨¨.
¨¨.,¨:~†=&                                          &=†~:¨,.¨¨