¨.,....»†§                                          §†»....,.¨
..,¨.,-;†£                                          £†;-,.¨,..
¨,.,~-^%££                                          ££%^-~,.,¨
¨.,,»=%@£¶                                          ¶£@%=»,,.¨
¨,~«;^¤#£#                                          #£#¤^;«~,¨
,~=;%*&@##                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.              §@=†«-,..,
,.¨.¨,-^%@                                          @%^-,¨.¨.,
,¨¨..¨~=;%                                          %;=~¨..¨¨,
¨,,¨,.,^«^                                          ^«^,.,¨,,¨
.¨¨..,.,.~                                          ~.,.,..¨¨.
¨¨,,.¨.,..                                          ..,.¨.,,¨¨
,,¨,,,.¨-«                                          «-¨.,,,¨,,