,¨¨.,~«:@£                                          £@:«~,.¨¨,
,.¨,,¨,=†&                                          &†=,¨,,¨.,
,,,¨,¨.^~^                                          ^~^.¨,¨,,,
..,¨¨.,,.~                                          ~.,,.¨¨,..
,.,¨,.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.,¨,.,
,¨,.,¨,,,.                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.                ##@##&/~:.
.,.-\$@@@#                                          #@@@$\-.,.
¨¨.^»^&¤## then  i   run  east   toward   my  home. ##¤&^»^.¨¨
¨,..,-=££@                                          @££=-,..,¨
.,¨¨.-~†$§                    :                     §$†~-.¨¨,.
..¨¨.¨^«*£                                          £*«^¨.¨¨..
...,¨¨.,-^ i am not  followed, and slow down in the ^-,.¨¨,...
¨¨¨..¨.¨,~ clearing where  you  at  first  can spot ~,¨.¨..¨¨¨
¨,¨...¨.., the  house,  not   yet  really   in  the ,..¨...¨,¨
,¨.¨¨¨,.,. backyard. from my  pockets i retrieve my .,.,¨¨¨.¨,
.¨¨,.¨,,., radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ,.,,¨.,¨¨.
.,.,.,,¨¨¨ clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ¨¨¨,,.,.,.
¨.,,¨,,¨,¨ must have  been laying in  the wet dirt, ¨,¨,,¨,,.¨
.,,¨,,..¨. and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my .¨..,,¨,,.
¨,.¨,.¨.¨.             other belongings.            .¨.¨.,¨.,¨
,.,,.¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨.,,.,
.,,....¨¨¨ it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked ¨¨¨....,,.
¨.,...,¨., on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ,.¨,...,.¨
,,¨,¨,¨¨¨-   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   -¨¨¨,¨,¨,,
..,..,¨,.~ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ~.,¨,..,..
,¨,¨.,,^=:                                          :=^,,.¨,¨,
..¨.,.,=†£ my mom is here now. i  ask her  for some £†=,.,.¨..
¨,,.,-=^%¤ particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ¤%^=-,.,,¨
,,.,~-=%§£ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to £§%=-~,.,,
¨..:=^£¤##              throw it away.              ##¤£^=:..¨
,¨~~^$@¶@#                                          #@¶@$^~~¨,
.:~/¤#¶###                                          ###¶#¤/~:.
¨¨~«^&¤###                                          ###¤&^«~¨¨
.¨,^-=£&¶#                                          #¶&£=-^,¨.
.¨¨.~~\%&£                                          £&%\~~.¨¨.
¨,¨¨,-~:$§                                          §$:~-,¨¨,¨