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