¨.=/^%£@##                                          ##@£%^/=.¨
¨,-«:=@§£@                                          @£§@=:«-,¨
.¨,~-^^@££                                          ££@^^-~,¨.
,.¨.,=/=£¤                                          ¤£=/=,.¨.,
,..¨.^=†%¤                                          ¤%†=^.¨..,
.¨...,:»†%                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.              /~~.,¨¨.,,
,¨.¨¨,..:~                                          ~:..,¨¨.¨,
,.¨¨,¨.¨.:                                          :.¨.¨,¨¨.,
¨.,¨.,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,.¨,.¨
,¨¨,.¨,,,,                                          ,,,,¨.,¨¨,
,.,,¨¨.,..                                          ..,.¨¨,,.,
,¨...¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨...¨,