¨¨,=*$§@##                                          ##@§$*=,¨¨
¨,-†=£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£=†-,¨
¨,~»^*@@#@                                          @#@@*^»~,¨
..,-~*%*&£                                          £&*%*~-,..
...,,~\%&#                                          #&%\~,,...
,..,,:~=§%                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 £$=†»,.,,¨
¨,¨,,,«†§£ clay figure  i've never seen  before. it £§†«,,,¨,¨
..¨¨,.-«;* must  have been  laying in the wet dirt, *;«-.,¨¨..
¨¨,..,¨,-* and  i  must've  picked  it  up  with my *-,¨,..,¨¨
.,..,,¨¨.-             other belongings.            -.¨¨,,..,.
¨.¨¨,¨.¨.,                                          ,.¨.¨,¨¨.¨
,,.¨.¨¨.,. it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked .,.¨¨.¨.,,
¨,,,¨,,,,: on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, :,,,,¨,,,¨
¨¨.,,,.,^-   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   -^,.,,,.¨¨
¨.,,,.¨,=* freshly made, not yet  completely dried. *=,¨.,,,.¨
¨,¨.¨,.»/§                                          §/».,¨.¨,¨
,¨¨.¨,=\^¤ my mom is here now. i  ask her for  some ¤^\=,¨.¨¨,
,,¨,~»=§§& particle  board  for it  to dry  on, but &§§=»~,¨,,
¨.¨^»=^%§¶ she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ¶§%^=»^¨.¨
.¨-~*%&@£#              throw it away.              #£@&%*~-¨.
.,«=*£@¶##                                          ##¶@£*=«,.
.¨-~/*%&¶#                                          #¶&%*/~-¨.
..¨^=**$¤£                                          £¤$**=^¨..
,.¨¨,~^%@£                                          £@%^~,¨¨.,
¨,..¨~~*^$                                          $^*~~¨..,¨
......:==*                                          *==:......