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