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