.^-*^@&@##                                          ##@&@^*-^.
¨,:-^$%###                                          ###%$^-:,¨
¨,,,»=†$#£                                          £#$†=»,,,¨
¨....~^%%£                                          £%%^~....¨
¨¨,,..»^=$                                          $=^»..,,¨¨
¨,.¨,¨.-*$                 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.              ###§£*/~~¨
.¨,=*†¤£@@                                          @@£¤†*=,¨.
.,.-«*%$#@                                          @#$%*«-.,.
,¨.,,=;*$£                                          £$*;=,,.¨,
.,¨.¨.=;^¤                                          ¤^;=.¨.¨,.
,¨¨¨¨¨,»^^                                          ^^»,¨¨¨¨¨,
¨,..¨¨.:-:                                          :-:.¨¨..,¨