..¨-»:%££@                                          @££%:»-¨..
.,,,-=\^§@                                          @§^\=-,,,.
¨,.,,~~:*@                                          @*:~~,,.,¨
¨,¨¨¨¨.=**                                          **=.¨¨¨¨,¨
¨¨¨,,.,-=*                                          *=-,.,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨..,-~                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.              ~,.¨.¨¨¨,,
.¨¨..,,,..                                          ..,,,..¨¨.
,¨,¨¨.,¨..                                          ..¨,.¨¨,¨,
¨.¨¨.¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨.¨¨.¨
¨,,¨,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,¨,,¨
..¨¨¨¨..,.                                          .,..¨¨¨¨..
.¨¨¨¨¨...,                                          ,...¨¨¨¨¨.