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