¨.,.¨,..,¨                                          ¨,..,¨.,.¨
.¨¨..,¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨,..¨¨.
¨,¨.¨.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.¨.¨,¨
,¨.¨..¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨..¨.¨,
,¨,.,.¨,~=                                          =~,¨.,.,¨,
.¨¨,¨¨¨-«*                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 #@&$$*«,,,
,-~\%&#£## she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ##£#&%\~-,
.,:~\%$@@@              throw it away.              @@@$%\~:,.
¨,¨~~^$$#¶                                          ¶#$$^~~¨,¨
¨,..,=^%¤@                                          @¤%^=,..,¨
,¨¨,¨,«*§*                                          *§*«,¨,¨¨,
.¨,¨..~~*^                                          ^*~~..¨,¨.
,¨.,¨..-~/                                          /~-..¨,.¨,
¨.,¨.,¨¨-~                                          ~-¨¨,.¨,.¨