,.¨...¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨...¨.,
,¨¨¨..¨,..                                          ..,¨..¨¨¨,
^..¨,¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨,¨..^
»:.¨,,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,,¨.:»
†~.,...¨¨,                                          ,¨¨...,.~†
*/~~..,,.¨                 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.              ¨.,,¨,..,.
¨,¨.,.¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨.,.¨,¨
,,¨¨.¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨.¨¨,,
«,...¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨...,«
\~,,,..,.,                                          ,.,..,,,~\
$:-,¨¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨¨,-:$
$§†»-,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,-»†§$