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