¨,¨¨,,-=^%                                          %^=-,,¨¨,¨
¨,,¨¨,:=†§                                          §†=:,¨¨,,¨
..¨,,,,^«^                                          ^«^,,,,¨..
.¨¨¨..,.~-                                          -~.,..¨¨¨.
..,..,..¨.                                          .¨..,..,..
,¨,,¨¨¨¨¨,                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.              ¨,,.¨,...¨
¨,,.,.¨,..                                          ..,¨.,.,,¨
.,¨¨...,¨¨                                          ¨¨,...¨¨,.
,.,,¨,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,¨,,.,
.¨,,¨.¨,¨~                                          ~¨,¨.¨,,¨.
.,¨,¨¨¨.:~                                          ~:.¨¨¨,¨,.
,.¨.,¨¨.»:                                          :».¨¨,.¨.,