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