.¨,,....«^                                          ^«....,,¨.
¨,,.,¨^~;†                                          †;~^¨,.,,¨
,¨¨,¨.«\$£                                          £$\«.¨,¨¨,
.,¨,:~:†@@                                          @@†:~:,¨,.
¨,¨~«^%¤@#                                          #@¤%^«~¨,¨
¨¨--\=¤#@#                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. @$*:--.¨.,
.,.,~^†%@#                                          #@%†^~,.,.
¨,:~\%@@## my mom is here now. i  ask  her for some ##@@%\~:,¨
¨,~†=££### particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ###££=†~,¨
,,~~/%£#@# she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to #@#£%/~~,,
¨,¨~=/=¤@@              throw it away.              @@¤=/=~¨,¨
,,..,«=$*#                                          #*$=«,..,,
¨¨...,~†^$                                          $^†~,...¨¨
,.,,¨..»:$                                          $:»..¨,,.,
¨¨,.,.,,»^                                          ^»,,.,.,¨¨
¨¨¨¨,,.,-~                                          ~-,.,,¨¨¨¨
...¨.¨,..:                                          :..,¨.¨...