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