¨,¨,,,,,¨:                                          :¨,,,,,¨,¨
,,.,..,,^»                                          »^,,..,.,,
.,.,..¨-«=                                          =«-¨..,.,.
¨,,¨¨,:«:=                                          =:«:,¨¨,,¨
,¨,¨.~»/%£                                          £%/»~.¨,¨,
,¨¨¨:=\*@¶                 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.              #¶§=^~~.,,
¨¨:-^*¤@##                                          ##@¤*^-:¨¨
,.»**&@@##                                          ##@@&**».,
,¨-=^^&@@#                                          #@@&^^=-¨,
¨,¨^-:*£##                                          ##£*:-^¨,¨
¨¨¨,.~=†£#                                          #£†=~.,¨¨¨
,,.,¨:~/^§                                          §^/~:¨,.,,