¨,.:~\$$##                                          ##$$\~:.,¨
¨¨:-:$@£##                                          ##£@$:-:¨¨
,--=†$&###                                          ###&$†=--,
.¨--\**@##                                          ##@**\--¨.
,.¨--=%££#                                          #££%=--¨.,
¨¨¨,^~*§%¤                 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 §%†:~-,,,,
¨.,~==*$§@              throw it away.              @§$*==~,.¨
¨.-~=*%§##                                          ##§%*=~-.¨
.:»**£####                                          ####£**»:.
..-»**$#@#                                          #@#$**»-..
¨.¨:~=%*¤@                                          @¤*%=~:¨.¨
¨..¨-~:*£&                                          &£*:~-¨..¨
¨..,.^-:=%                                          %=:-^.,..¨