.¨..^«\%&&                                          &&%\«^..¨.
.,,..^»;^§                                          §^;»^..,,.
.,,¨.,,«^*                                          *^«,,.¨,,.
¨¨,¨,¨.:»^                                          ^»:.¨,¨,¨¨
¨.,.....,=                                          =,.....,.¨
,.¨¨¨,...,                 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 ££$^«:...¨
,¨,-=*†£@@ clearing  where you  at  first can  spot @@£†*=-,¨,
.¨--^^@§## the   house,   not  yet  really  in  the ##§@^^--¨.
.-=^*££### backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my ###££*^=-.
,,^~†%*@## radio (now  dented)  but  also  a  small ##@*%†~^,,
,,¨,~:%%£# clay figure i've  never seen  before. it #£%%:~,¨,,
¨,¨¨.-;†*& must have been  laying  in the wet dirt, &*†;-.¨¨,¨
,¨,,..~\^¤ and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my ¤^\~..,,¨,
,,,.,¨:~/§            other belongings.             §/~:¨,.,,,
¨¨¨¨,¨.,»;                                          ;»,.¨,¨¨¨¨
¨..¨¨¨,,-» it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked »-,,¨¨¨..¨
,¨¨,¨¨.¨.: on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, :.¨.¨¨,¨¨,
¨,.¨¨¨.,.¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨.,.¨¨¨.,¨
.,¨,¨¨¨..¨ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ¨..¨¨¨,¨,.
¨,,...,,¨,                                          ,¨,,...,,¨
.,,,¨¨¨¨¨^ my mom is  here now. i ask her  for some ^¨¨¨¨¨,,,.
¨.¨,¨.¨¨-» particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but »-¨¨.¨,¨.¨
¨....,,--; she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ;--,,....¨
,..¨¨,:»**              throw it away.              **»:,¨¨..,
,.,¨¨,«\=$                                          $=\«,¨¨,.,
.,.¨.=:†@¤                                          ¤@†:=.¨.,.
¨..,~\$&§@                                          @§&$\~,..¨
,,,=*$*§@#                                          #@§*$*=,,,
.^-†%*&¶##                                          ##¶&*%†-^.
¨¨:~^=@£##                                          ##£@=^~:¨¨