¨,,:~^@&¶#                                          #¶&@^~:,,¨
.,,,:=*%#@                                          @#%*=:,,,.
¨.,¨.:~=§&                                          &§=~:.¨,.¨
....,¨~»%$                                          $%»~¨,....
.,,.,,¨,-^                                          ^-,¨,,.,,.
¨¨,.,¨¨.,=                statuette                 =,.¨¨,.,¨¨
,¨,.¨¨¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨¨¨.,¨,
.¨.¨,,,¨,¨ @&£@$£££%§%$§@£¤=-=~~~~-@@&£&¤£&@%@@&%§¤ ¨,¨,,,¨.¨.
,¨¨.¨....,                 §§£&*$$§£                ,....¨.¨¨,
..,¨,¨...¨                                          ¨...¨,¨,..
...,¨..¨., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.¨..¨,...
.,,.,.,.~~ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ~~.,.,.,,.
,¨,....,=%       forgotten. wild boars roaming      %=,....,¨,
¨,¨.¨¨~~^* underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it *^~~¨¨.¨,¨
¨¨,.,:«*£& is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having &£*«:,.,¨¨
.,.¨,=*%&# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #&%*=,¨.,.
¨..^»$$§@#                                          #@§$$»^..¨
,.~~*$¤@@# there's a river passing  by,  from  east #@@¤$*~~.,
.,«%%##### 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.              $»,...,..¨
,,.¨,¨-~^%                                          %^~-¨,¨.,,
..¨,¨^=†*&                                          &*†=^¨,¨..
,,.,,~$&§@                                          @§&$~,,.,,
,¨.^-†$@¶#                                          #¶@$†-^.¨,
,.-«*§@@##                                          ##@@§*«-.,
,:»*&@@@##                                          ##@@@&*»:,