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