¨¨.,¨~-*†§                                          §†*-~¨,.¨¨
.¨..,,,»/=                                          =/»,,,..¨.
¨,.¨.,.-=:                                          :=-.,.¨.,¨
...,.,.,:-                                          -:,.,.,...
.,¨.¨,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,¨.¨,.
.,.,,.¨¨-«                 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 #@§%$*~-,¨
¨¨¨^~**%&£             other belongings.            £&%**~^¨¨¨
.,,,,~:$@@                                          @@$:~,,,,.
....¨~«\^£ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked £^\«~¨....
.¨.¨¨¨,«^^ on  her  stomach,  feet  in   the   air, ^^«,¨¨¨.¨.
,¨.¨.¨¨-~;   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ;~-¨¨.¨.¨,
,..,,.,,^- freshly made, not  yet completely dried. -^,,.,,..,
¨¨,¨¨,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,¨¨,¨¨
,.¨¨,¨¨,^~ my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some ~^,¨¨,¨¨.,
,..,,.¨:-/ particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but /-:¨.,,..,
¨¨¨.,¨~«:* she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to *:«~¨,.¨¨¨
,.,.,:»*%£              throw it away.              £%*»:,.,.,
¨¨¨,--^*%&                                          &%*^--,¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«*^*@#                                          #@*^*«:¨¨¨
..,»\$$#@#                                          #@#$$\»,..
,,«†§£¤###                                          ###¤£§†«,,
.¨,-†*$###                                          ###$*†-,¨.
,,¨.~=%%@¶                                          ¶@%%=~.¨,,