..,/*$#@@#                                          #@@#$*/,..
.,,~:%§¤@#                                          #@¤§%:~,,.
¨..,.\%&@¶                                          ¶@&%\.,..¨
,.,.¨^:*$§                                          §$*:^¨.,.,
,,,.¨.-^^¤                                          ¤^^-.¨.,,,
.¨¨.¨.¨,;^                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.              ##£#¤*;^.¨
¨¨.:/%£§£#                                          #£§£%/:.¨¨
.¨..-/^¤£¶                                          ¶£¤^/-..¨.
¨¨..,:*%*@                                          @*%*:,..¨¨
.,.¨¨¨,**$                                          $**,¨¨¨.,.
¨,.,¨,,^^$                                          $^^,,¨,.,¨
¨,¨,¨,¨.:^                                          ^:.¨,¨,¨,¨