.¨..¨¨,«=§                                          §=«,¨¨..¨.
,¨,¨,.,:«†                                          †«:,.,¨,¨,
,¨,,¨¨-~*†                                          †*~-¨¨,,¨,
.,..¨-=^=§                                          §=^=-¨..,.
.,.,^=*$*¤                                          ¤*$*=^,.,.
,,¨,-^†@¤¶                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 @%$:-:,¨,,
¨.,,.,~=^* she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to *^=~,.,,.¨
.¨¨..,,=†*              throw it away.              *†=,,..¨¨.
.¨.¨¨,¨.=:                                          :=.¨,¨¨.¨.
¨,,.¨.~»†%                                          %†»~.¨.,,¨
¨.,¨,:»/%*                                          *%/»:,¨,.¨
.,,.:-*§%@                                          @%§*-:.,,.
¨..-~\=§&¶                                          ¶&§=\~-..¨
¨¨.~=$%§@#                                          #@§%$=~.¨¨