,.,.¨¨,,=:                                          :=,,¨¨.,.,
..,,.,^~=%                                          %=~^,.,,..
.,,¨,,-*$&                                          &$*-,,¨,,.
.¨,.,~†*§@                                          @§*†~,.,¨.
¨¨¨~»/§%&#                                          #&%§/»~¨¨¨
.¨^=\†@@##                 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   $*:~~...¨.
¨,..~~:%*£ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. £*%:~~..,¨
,,¨:-=†§£@                                          @£§†=-:¨,,
,¨:-/*¤£## my mom  is here  now. i ask her for some ##£¤*/-:¨,
.:-\§§¤@## particle  board for it  to dry  on,  but ##@¤§§\-:.
.,.~/%§@@# she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to #@@§%/~.,.
¨.,~«:**##              throw it away.              ##**:«~,.¨
¨,.,:~†§$§                                          §$§†~:,.,¨
¨,,,..~:=§                                          §=:~..,,,¨
¨,.,.¨,»**                                          **»,¨.,.,¨
¨,¨¨,¨.:=†                                          †=:.¨,¨¨,¨
.¨..¨.¨,-=                                          =-,¨.¨..¨.
..,¨..,.,.                                          .,.,..¨,..