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