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