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