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