.¨¨,.,.:~*                                          *~:.,.,¨¨.
¨.,..,-«;=                                          =;«-,..,.¨
¨¨.,.^=:=£                                          £=:=^.,.¨¨
.¨¨¨-~\†§¤                                          ¤§†\~-¨¨¨.
,..,~/*¤#¶                                          ¶#¤*/~,..,
,.,«\%*#¶@                 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 $**»~....,
..¨.¨..»;% orange   tin  radio  and  a  translucent %;»..¨.¨..
¨¨..¨,..«=      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      =«..,¨..¨¨
,.¨,.¨¨.,~                                          ~,.¨¨.,¨.,
¨..,,,,.¨.                     \                    .¨.,,,,..¨
,...,¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨,...,
,,.¨¨,,¨,, somethings  moving  in the  grass.  it's ,,¨,,¨¨.,,
,,¨¨,.¨,¨, invisible  to  my  eyes  but i  can feel ,¨,¨.,¨¨,,
,,,¨..¨¨,. through the ground just how large it is. .,¨¨..¨,,,
,¨,¨¨,...¨                                          ¨...,¨¨,¨,
,.,¨¨.¨,,. the  soil  is  muddy. i slip when trying .,,¨.¨¨,.,
.,.¨¨,¨¨¨, to   get  up,   still   looking  at  the ,¨¨¨,¨¨.,.
,,..¨,..¨- direction of  sound rather  than  at  my -¨..,¨..,,
,.¨,..¨,~- hands,  who  are  busy putting things in -~,¨..,¨.,
,¨.¨,¨..-^               my pockets.                ^-..¨,¨.¨,
¨..¨¨,,»:%                                          %:»,,¨¨..¨
¨,.¨¨--;%@ then  i  run  east   toward   my   home. @%;--¨¨.,¨
¨.¨.,»\†$#                                          #$†\»,.¨.¨
,..-~=^%#¶                     ^                    ¶#%^=~-..,
.,,~=*@@##                                          ##@@*=~,,.
¨:«^*&£@@# i  am not followed, and slow down in the #@@£&*^«:¨
,¨,~/%%££# clearing where you  at  first  can  spot #££%%/~,¨,
¨,¨.~††£¤¶ the  house,  not  yet  really   in   the ¶¤£††~.¨,¨
,.¨¨:~:%££ backyard. from my  pockets i retrieve my ££%:~:¨¨.,
¨,..¨.==*£ radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small £*==.¨..,¨
..¨..¨:~** clay  figure i've  never seen before. it **~:¨..¨..
..,.¨¨,.~^ must have  been laying in  the wet dirt, ^~.,¨¨.,..
..¨,.,.,~» and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my »~,.,.,¨..
,.,.¨...¨,            other belongings.             ,¨...¨.,.,
..,¨..¨,,,                                          ,,,¨..¨,..
¨¨,..,.¨¨, it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ,¨¨.,..,¨¨
¨,,¨¨.,,,¨ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, ¨,,,.¨¨,,¨
¨¨.,¨¨,,,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,,,¨¨,.¨¨
.¨,¨,..¨.¨ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ¨.¨..,¨,¨.
,¨..¨.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.¨..¨,
¨.,.,..¨,, my mom  is here  now. i ask her for some ,,¨..,.,.¨
¨..,¨¨¨¨.^ particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but ^.¨¨¨¨,..¨
.,¨,¨,.,:» she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to »:,.,¨,¨,.
,.¨,¨..^»^              throw it away.              ^»^..¨,¨.,
.¨..¨,^»^%                                          %^»^,¨..¨.
¨,.¨¨^«*%£                                          £%*«^¨¨.,¨
¨.,.-«\%£§                                          §£%\«-.,.¨
.,¨^~;^§#£                                          £#§^;~^¨,.
,¨~«†$§&#@                                          @#&§$†«~¨,
.:=\§&#@@#                                          #@@#&§\=:.