¨,.¨¨,...-                                          -...,¨¨.,¨
.,..,¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨,..,.
¨,.¨¨....,                                          ,....¨¨.,¨
.,.¨.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.¨.,.
.¨,¨,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,¨,¨.
.,..¨,,¨,,                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.              :.¨..¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨.¨,¨~~                                          ~~¨,¨.¨¨¨¨
,.,..,.,-*                                          *-,.,..,.,
..¨,¨¨~=/§                                          §/=~¨¨,¨..
¨.¨,..»;§£                                          £§;»..,¨.¨
¨¨¨¨~«^*%#                                          #%*^«~¨¨¨¨
,.,,«;=*¶#                                          #¶*=;«,,.,