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