,¨.¨,¨,¨,~                                          ~,¨,¨,¨.¨,
¨,¨¨,.¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨.,¨¨,¨
,.¨,..,...                                          ...,..,¨.,
,.,¨.,,.,.                                          .,.,,.¨,.,
.¨¨,¨¨....                                          ....¨¨,¨¨.
¨,¨¨,.,.,¨                 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, ###$=^».,,
,,¨-~\^%£@ and  i  must've  picked  it  up  with my @£%^\~-¨,,
¨..¨,«;§£¤             other belongings.            ¤£§;«,¨..¨
,.,¨.:~:^$                                          $^:~:.¨,.,
....¨.:-\§ it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked §\-:.¨....
.,,,,¨,:«* on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, *«:,¨,,,,.
.,¨.,,,.:~   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ~:.,,,.¨,.
¨.,...,¨,^ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ^,¨,...,.¨
.¨..,¨¨,,,                                          ,,,¨¨,..¨.
.,,,¨,.,¨¨ my  mom is here now. i ask her  for some ¨¨,.,¨,,,.
.,¨..,,.¨. particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but .¨.,,..¨,.
.,¨.,.,,., she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,.,,.,.¨,.
¨.,,¨,¨,,¨              throw it away.              ¨,,¨,¨,,.¨
¨,.,¨¨,¨,^                                          ^,¨,¨¨,.,¨
,.,¨.,¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨,.¨,.,
¨,...,,-=†                                          †=-,,...,¨
,.¨.¨,:~=$                                          $=~:,¨.¨.,
,.,¨¨,-†*£                                          £*†-,¨¨,.,
,.¨¨,~:^*£                                          £*^:~,¨¨.,