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