..¨.¨¨,,~/                                          /~,,¨¨.¨..
,.,¨,,¨,,»                                          »,,¨,,¨,.,
,¨¨....¨,:                                          :,¨....¨¨,
..¨¨.¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨.¨¨..
,¨¨¨..¨,,.                                          .,,¨..¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨,,,¨¨,                 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.              †»~..¨..,¨
.¨,,¨..,-=                                          =-,..¨,,¨.
,,.,,..,.,                                          ,.,..,,.,,
,.,.,..,¨.                                          .¨,..,.,.,
,,.¨,,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,,¨.,,
,.¨¨¨¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨¨¨¨.,
,,...¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨...,,