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