¨,..,,.-†$                                          $†-.,,..,¨
,¨¨.,~~\^*                                          *^\~~,.¨¨,
,..,,~\%*§                                          §*%\~,,..,
¨¨¨,»^^*&#                                          #&*^^»,¨¨¨
¨¨-~*§%###                                          ###%§*~-¨¨
¨.~/^%####                 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   #$*\=,.¨¨¨
.,,.~††§£# freshly made, not yet completely  dried. #£§††~.,,.
..,~/$¤@##                                          ##@¤$/~,..
,^~/*%#### my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some ####%*/~^,
.,--**&### particle board  for  it  to dry  on, but ###&**--,.
¨¨,,«;*&&@ she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to @&&*;«,,¨¨
.¨¨,,»;=&£              throw it away.              £&=;»,,¨¨.
¨...¨^«^%%                                          %%^«^¨...¨
,.¨,..:«/$                                          $/«:..,¨.,
..,.,,.:~:                                          :~:.,,.,..
¨....¨.,,«                                          «,,.¨....¨
,¨,......^                                          ^......,¨,
¨.,.¨¨.,,~                                          ~,,.¨¨.,.¨