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