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