.,,¨.¨¨=^%                                          %^=¨¨.¨,,.
,,,.,¨,.«*                                          *«.,¨,.,,,
.¨¨,..¨.,-                                          -,.¨..,¨¨.
..¨,.¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨.,¨..
.¨,¨.¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨.¨,¨.
..¨¨¨..¨¨¨                 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.              ##@£¤¤$/».
¨¨-†*%@#@#                                          #@#@%*†-¨¨
.¨.-;†$¤£#                                          #£¤$†;-.¨.
.¨,¨-^^$@#                                          #@$^^-¨,¨.
¨¨.¨.»†*@¤                                          ¤@*†».¨.¨¨
,,.¨,,»^§@                                          @§^»,,¨.,,
,,¨,¨¨.-/†                                          †/-.¨¨,¨,,