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