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