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