¨.¨¨¨:-†*@                                          @*†-:¨¨¨.¨
.¨,¨...«;†                                          †;«...¨,¨.
,,..,,.~«*                                          *«~.,,..,,
,¨¨,¨,,,,-                                          -,,,,¨,¨¨,
.,¨.¨.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.¨.¨,.
,,,.¨,.,¨¨                 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.              £$†«:..,,.
,,¨¨,«^%$@                                          @$%^«,¨¨,,
,.¨-«/^$&#                                          #&$^/«-¨.,
,¨-=:%§§¶#                                          #¶§§%:=-¨,
,,===£#£##                                          ##£#£===,,
,..=/*$&#@                                          @#&$*/=..,
¨,,:«^%$&@                                          @&$%^«:,,¨